Flight of the Dragon
by Tesekian
Summary: Aragorn's son and his friend are kidnapped and taken to an unknown land. Will Eldarion discover the reasons for his capture, and perhaps love? no slash. Eldarion/OC. Chapter 22: Homeward Bound. FINISHED!
1. The Attack

Disclaimer: What is the point of having a disclaimer? You all know that I don't own LotR, so I won't bother saying it.  
  
Author's note: Rion is short for Eldarion, Aragorn's son. He's fifteen in this story.  
  
I've decided that I'm not going to update this story unless I get at least three reviews for the last chapter. This way I know not to bother if no one likes it. So, if the chapters aren't coming fast enough for you, you know what to do.  
  
***  
  
"Excellent shot, Mir," laughed Rion, as the deer leapt away uninjured into the trees. Shooting Rion with an angry glare, Mir left the place where they had been hiding to retrieve his arrow. It had struck a tree several feet from the beast he was aiming at.  
  
"Perhaps you should start giving lessons, you're so good," Rion suggested. Though nowhere near as good as Rion, Mir was normally better than this, and Rion couldn't resist the opportunity to tease. He'd probably regret it later, since Mir was very inventive when it came to getting revenge. Once he had placed some hot spices in his food when was having dinner with some ambassador. He couldn't remember who exactly it had been, since the ambassadors all seemed the same to him, but he had been forced to sit through the meal in a dignified and princely manner, resisting the temptation to drink a gallon of water after each mouthful. He still didn't feel they were even on that score, and so took every opportunity to even things out.  
  
Mir gave a mock bow, pulling his arrow free from the tree and returning it to his quiver. He grinned widely at Rion.  
  
"My demonstrations are saved for those who most need the help," he said. Both boys turned when there was a quickly smothered laugh from nearby, to see the guards who had accompanied them standing with perfectly serious looks on their faces. Mir glared at them, but Rion had a better idea.  
  
"I doubt my father would send them with us if they were that bad at shooting, Mir," Rion said. Mir laughed. It wasn't often they made fun of those poor unfortunates who were given the task of looking after the young prince and his friend, but it served them right for laughing. It annoyed Rion that his father insisted he always be protected. It wasn't like he couldn't look after himself. He might not be an expert with the sword, but he could hold his own, and he was a better archer than any member of the guard. Besides, he wasn't likely to get attacked every time he left the city.  
  
Unfortunately, his father was stubborn, and Rion knew that he would probably be followed by armed guards until he was well into his thirties.  
  
"We should probably head home," Rion said, glancing up at the sky. The sun was beginning to creep towards the western horizon. "Father will be worried if we're not back before dark." That was an understatement. The king had a tendency to become frantic if his son wasn't safely home before the time he was due to return. Rion knew he should be glad his father cared for him so much, but like every child the overprotection annoyed him greatly.  
  
"It's just a shame we must return home empty handed," Rion couldn't resist the final dig as he began to walk to where their horses were tied. The guards walked a discrete distance behind the two boys.  
  
Rion froze as he heard something in the trees. It didn't sound like an animal, more like a foot shifting on fallen leaves. Someone trying very hard not to be heard. Mir looked at him when he stopped, and saw the expression on his face.  
  
"What's wrong?" Rion didn't have a chance to answer, when an arrow struck the ground at his feet. He jumped backwards in shock, almost falling. In an instant the guards had their swords drawn, and the two boys had arrows on the strings of their bows. The guards moved closer to the boys, inspecting the dense trees around them. Even much of the foliage fallen, the depths of the wood were impenetrable. They had chosen this spot as a good place to hunt because of the cover, only now it seemed they were the prey.  
  
"You are surrounded," a man's voice called, "lay down your weapons." Unfortunately, they couldn't tell if he was speaking the truth. The man might be alone, or there might be an army hiding in ambush.  
  
Deciding to chance it, Rion fired an arrow in the direction of the voice. He heard a cry as his arrow struck its target, but he didn't know if he had killed or merely injured. He hoped the man was only hurt. He'd never killed anyone, and he didn't like the thought. He pushed the thought out of his mind, and placed another arrow on the bow.  
  
Mir gave a shout of surprise as an arrow hit a tree mere inches from his face. Rion spun to face the point the arrow had come from, but even he could see nothing in the trees. He hated feeling helpless like this. They couldn't fight until their enemy showed themselves, and they could easily be killed where they were. He fought to keep his hands from trembling so that he wouldn't lose his aim. He couldn't let his fear control him.  
  
The horses were nearby, and Rion knew he could easily get to them and be away, but he would be even more of a target on horseback. Besides, it would be as easy for the others, and he had to think about them. As more arrows struck the ground close to the group, Rion realised they should have hit somebody by now. The only reason they kept missing was because they wanted them alive. For some reason that made Rion even more afraid.  
  
There was a shrill whistle, and the trees erupted with people. Men and women, all wearing a uniform with an emblem of a dragon emblazoned in red across the chest, charged at the small group. Rion fired arrow after arrow, hitting the attackers in the leg or shoulder so that they fell back injured. His father had taught him to fight, but he wasn't ready to kill anyone.  
  
He couldn't fire fast enough, or in enough directions. Arms grabbed him from behind, causing to drop his bow. He couldn't draw his sword, and so had no way to defend himself, but fortunately one of the guards took down his assailant. Rion turned in time to see that same guard fall, knocked unconscious by a blow to the head dealt by another attacker. They were just too badly outnumbered.  
  
For a moment he was clear, and Rion ran to the horses. He leapt on Firefly, his own horse, urging her away from the battle. Firefly reared suddenly as an arrow hit the ground at her front hooves. Rion, still distracted by the fight, lost his grip and fell. He struck the ground hard, pain shooting through his back and filling his awareness.  
  
For a few moments the shock made him unable to do anything, and that was all it took for two men to grab him and haul him to his feet. He struggled and kicked, but they held his arms behind him so he couldn't get away. The others hadn't fared any better, he saw now. One of the guards was unconscious, the other pinned to the ground, a knife pressed across his throat. Mir was on his knees, a woman standing behind him, holding his arms and holding a knife to his throat.  
  
Of their enemy, there were several injured, but only one lay dead. There was quite a large force, mostly men but with the occasional women, all armed with bows and swords. Rion struggled and tried to get away from the two that held him, but he stopped when the woman holding Mir pressed the knife tighter. What did these people want? Fear and uncertainty filled Rion.  
  
One man, whose uniform had red stripes on the shoulder, stood in front of Rion and took his sword. Rion fought harder against the hands that held him. That sword had been a gift from his father on his birthday! That man had no business touching it!  
  
"Hold still!" the man ordered, but Rion kept struggling. "If you care for your friend, hold still!" Rion saw Mir move his head back as far as he could, but the knife remained tight across his throat. He froze, and saw the woman release the pressure slightly.  
  
"Good choice," the man said. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle filled with a brown liquid. Opening the bottle, he held it to Rion's mouth. An unpleasant odour drifted up his nose, and Rion kept his mouth firmly closed.  
  
"I can force you to drink if you wish," the man said. Rion hesitated, glancing over at Mir, helpless. He didn't see he had much choice, and so opened his mouth to accept the liquid. It had a bitter taste, and made his lips tingle slightly as it passed over them. He had drunk worse, most often when Mir was annoyed with him about something.  
  
He had only swallowed a couple of mouthfuls when his legs began to feel weak. The men holding him tied his hands behind him. He tried to struggle, but his movements became slower. His eyes began to shut of their own accord. So tired.  
  
"Rion!" Mir shouted. "Rion!" It sounded urgent. Rion found himself growing so tired his thoughts were coming slower. He ought to see what was wrong, why Mir was so upset. "Rion!" He just needed to close his eyes for moment. Just for a. . .  
  
***  
  
Author's note: I can almost hear you. What's Rion just drunk? Will he be alright? When's the romance coming into the story? And what's any of this got to do with flying dragons?  
  
I don't mean to read people's minds, it just happens, honest. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think. 


	2. The Voyage

Author's note: OK, I know I threatened not to update, but since Bean02 requested an update, I'll be nice. If you want another chapter, please review or I might not think it's worth the effort.  
  
***  
  
The first thing Rion became aware of was that his wrists hurt. As he became more awake he realised why. His arms were tied behind him, and he was lying down, or rather leaning. The floor sloped strangely to become the wall, so he was lying at an odd angle. His feet were also bound he discovered.  
  
The next thing he became aware of was that his stomach wasn't feeling too good. He felt as though he might be sick at any moment. He thought at first it was from the drug he had been given, but it soon became apparent that it was really the fact that the room was moving. The floor he was lying on was constantly shifting and swaying in a manner that sent his stomach reeling.  
  
Curious, Rion opened his eyes. They were met with darkness. There were thin lines of brightness, letting some dim light into the place he was confined allowing him a look at his surroundings. There were wooden walls barely inches from either arm. Another wall was at his feet, though the lines of light around it suggested this might be a door. There was no handle inside. He pushed against it with his bound feet, but nothing happened.  
  
Rion sighed, and let his head fall sideways against one of the walls with a dull thump. A moment later there was an answering thump on the other side and he sat up straight.  
  
"Who's there?" he asked.  
  
"Rion?" a voice asked, one familiar despite the muffling wood. "It's Mir."  
  
"Have they hurt you?" Rion asked.  
  
"No, they just tied me up and put me in a cell." Rion looked around him. It seemed more like a box than a cell. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, just tired. How long was I out?"  
  
"A day, maybe more, I'm not sure how much time we've been down here."  
  
"And where's here?"  
  
"A ship." That would explain the swaying motion. "They made us walk for a long time until we reached the river. They carried you. The man who gave you that stuff ordered the others to tie up the guards and leave them. He said that they would be able to get free soon enough, but not before we were well away. Then they took us onto the ship." There was a pause as Rion thought about what Mir had told him.  
  
"I was worried about you," Mir admitted after a while.  
  
"I'm fine. That drug just put me to sleep."  
  
They broke off their conversation at the sound of footsteps on wood. Rion heard bolts being pulled back and then the wall in front of him was lifted up and outwards. He blinked several times, blinded by the sudden light. Once his eyes had adjusted, he saw that a man was standing there, dressed in the same uniform as the attackers. He put something down on the floor and then leaned into the cell. Rion tried to pull himself away, but the man took hold of him by the shoulders and rolled him onto his side. It took Rion a moment to realise his hands were being untied.  
  
He rubbed his sore wrists as the man pushed a tray inside and stood up.  
  
"Wait!" Rion called, as the man put his hands on the door to shut it. "I need. . ." He gestured downwards, embarrassed to say. His father had taught him it wasn't polite to speak of such things.  
  
"Very well," the man said, "but do not try anything." He reached down and untied the ropes at Rion's feet. He drew a dagger, then held his free hand out to help Rion. Rion took it, his eyes always on the blade. It was held in a way suggesting the man was used to wielding it, and he had a sword at his side. Rion toyed briefly with the idea of fighting him, but dismissed it. The man was almost certainly going to be a better fighter, which along with being armed put Rion at too great a disadvantage. Besides, he was on a ship filled with enemy soldiers, so where would he go even if he could get himself and Mir free?  
  
The man put his hand in the middle of Rion's back and pushed him along what was essentially a tunnel of wood. They were inside the ship, with stairs at one end of the tunnel leading up to a bright square of daylight, Doors lead off on one side, probably into cabins. The other side held cells stacked on top of each other as well as side by side. Rion wondered why they would have so many cells, then he realised they weren't cells at all. They were store cupboards! Rage filled him that he could be treated in such a way. His hands formed fists at his side and it took a lot of effort to keep himself from acting rashly. He would gain nothing by getting himself killed.  
  
The man opened a small door at the end of the tunnel away from the stairs. Inside was a small room, containing nothing more than a wooden seat with a hole in it. Rion stepped inside, the man still behind him still, watching.  
  
"May I not have some privacy?" Rion asked. The man shut the door, leaving Rion alone. He relieved himself, and then spent a few moments stretching and enjoying the movement in his limbs. His back was sore from his fall and then lying in that awkward position, but otherwise he was all right. His wrists had been rubbed by the tight ropes, but now they were free they were fine.  
  
It seemed they wanted him unhurt for whatever reason. How long would that last? His mind filled with thoughts of torture and pain that they might deal out on him and Mir. He wished he had his father's warnings more seriously. The thought of his father, made tears well up behind his eyes, but he kept them back. He couldn't let them see how he was being affected. As he opened the door and allowed himself to be taken back to his cell, he kept his expression calm and controlled. It was a struggle, since he had never been so afraid.  
  
They reached his cell, which was one of the ones on the bottom row. He could see that once shut it would be secured by two bolts, neither of which there was any way of opening from inside. The man gave him a firm but not unkind push down. He dropped and went inside the cell. The thing that the man had brought was still there, a tray containing some hard biscuits and a cup of water.  
  
The man retied his feet, but left his arms free.  
  
"Is that necessary?" Rion asked.  
  
"The captain doesn't want to take any chances with you," the man replied. Rion sighed and reached for the biscuits. He took a cautious bite and grimaced, it was dry with a rough texture and barely any taste.  
  
"This is food?" he asked.  
  
"You'll get no princely banquets here," the man replied, "eat this or starve, the choice is yours." Then he stepped back and shut Rion in again. The sounds that filtered through the wood told him that Mir was being taken out, probably being allowed to relieve himself as well. He ate the biscuits slowly, thinking about what the man had said, while Mir returned and was locked in.  
  
"They know who I am," Rion said, "which means the attack was specifically planned to capture us." Or me, he added silently.  
  
"What difference does it make?" Mir asked.  
  
"It means that they must have gone to a lot of trouble, so they'll be less likely to kill us." Hopefully. There was a pause.  
  
"I can understand why they might want you a prisoner," Mir said at last, "but why would they want me? I'm no one important." Rion thought about this for a while, remembering the initial attack.  
  
"So they can hold a knife to your throat when they want me to co-operate." Mir had nothing to do with any of this. Anyone else would have served just as well, but they brought his best friend. Mir didn't deserve to be treated like this, locked in a tiny cupboard. It was all his fault.  
  
"I'm sorry," Rion said, at exactly the same moment that Mir did. He was about to ask what Mir was sorry about, when they both heard footsteps approaching. The door in front of Rion opened again, and this time it was the man who had drugged him who stood there, the one with the stripes on the shoulder.  
  
"I'm under orders to take you back to my land," he said, "but there is no reason for your journey to be more uncomfortable than necessary. I will allow you to be moved to one of the cabins."  
  
"At what price?" Rion asked cautiously.  
  
"Your word that you will not try to escape."  
  
"NO! I will not surrender to an enemy simply because of comfort!"  
  
"You will have no chance of escape in here any more than if you were bound by your word. It would be sensible to accept this offer. It will not be made again." Rion just glared at him. Eventually the man sighed in a resigned way. "Very well then." He stood back and locked Rion in again.  
  
As the footsteps receded, he heard Mir shifting uncomfortably in the next cell. Had he made the right choice? Yes, he had. If he gave his word then he would not be able to free himself, even if the chance presented itself. There was little hope of that, but still some. Content he had chosen rightly, the young prince of Gondor reached forwards and began picking at the ropes that bound his legs together.  
  
***  
  
Days passed uncomfortably, with the only change being the fading of the light round the door and the men coming to bring him food. He wasn't starved, but the dry biscuits weren't very satisfying. Rion unbound his legs, but each time someone brought him food they bound them again. It seemed pointless, but he wasn't going to be the one to break the cycle. As long as he could free his legs he felt there was some chance of freedom, small though it was.  
  
Ten days had passed, and so far he had had no opportunity to escape. They would take him out to relieve himself twice a day, but always guarded and the guard was always armed. The only glimpse he had of daylight was what little came down the stairs into the tunnel. As time past he began to feel that even if he got out, the sun would have gone dark and he would spend his time forever in blackness.  
  
He told Mir this, who just laughed at him. It was silly, he knew, but despair was easy in a place like this.  
  
He had been asleep, but was woken suddenly by pain up his right arm. He had barely enough to time to register it before he was flung sideways and his left arm hit the wall of the cell hard. In a moment he realised it was the motion of the ship and braced himself against the walls. It was night, since there was no light at all in the cell. He could hear a huge roaring, and people shouting, but he couldn't make out the words.  
  
There was a flash, and for a moment the edges of the door were lit brightly, but then he was plunged into darkness. A storm, and a powerful one at that. If the ship sank, he would have no way out and would drown for sure. Though fear gripped his heart, the motion of the ship made his stomach the most immediate problem. Rion vomited.  
  
***  
  
How long the storm lasted for, Rion couldn't guess. It had been a horrible experience, locked in that cell. He had vomited until there was nothing left in his stomach and still he couldn't stop. His arms were sore from being flung against the walls as the ship lurched. And now he sat, the ship seeming motionless after the horrendous storm.  
  
He was hungry, but the smell would have put him off eating even if they brought him food. He was sitting in a pile of his own vomit, his clothes covered with the stuff. It was so disgusting that he thought that if the man with the stripes were to offer him a warm bath he would probably do anything he asked.  
  
After some time there were footsteps, and someone opened the door. The man standing there grimaced at the stench, and Rion didn't blame him.  
  
"Not much of a seafarer, are you?" the man said. He took a stretch of rope out. Rion thought at first he meant to bind his feet again, which he had untied as always. Instead the man put a hand on Rion's shoulder, where he was cleaner, and pulled him forward. Rion stepped out of the cell, and the man bound his wrists behind him. He knew something apart from the normal was going to happen, since they hadn't bound his hands since that first day.  
  
Once he was secure, Rion was prodded gently in the direction of the steps. Warm sunlight struck him for the first time in days and the sheer joy of it was immeasurable. He emerged onto the deck, and felt a breeze, tinged with salt, ripple through his hair and caress his skin. He stood still for a moment, feeling the pleasure of nature, but a hand pressed into his back.  
  
"You might want to stand there in your own stench, but I don't," the man said, and pushed him along the deck. The deck of the ship was at three levels. The central one, on which Rion stood was the lowest, the other two on either side were higher, reached by steps. Doors into these levels suggested there were more cabins there. The man took Rion to the wall made by one of the higher levels and tied his hands to a metal ring fixed there.  
  
Rion didn't resist, partly because there wouldn't be much point, but mostly because he was just enjoying being outside. If he struggled now they would most likely shove him back into that cell and leave there forever. As the man walked away, Rion got a good look at this level of the deck. People, all in the same uniform, were working. Some were repairing broken woodwork, or carrying things up the sets of steps. Others were moving about on tasks Rion didn't know the purpose of, but it seemed there was no one who wasn't busy.  
  
The man came back to Rion, carrying a bucket of water and a cloth. It wasn't a warm bath, but at least it was something. Rion stood calmly, and allowed the man to clean his skin and wipe the worst of the filth from his clothes, moving to make the task easier for him.  
  
"Thank you," Rion said when it was finished. He wasn't very clean, but cleaner than he had been in a while. He had inherited more from his mother than just the pointed tips of his ears, and to sit for days dirty without the opportunity of washing disgusted him, as much as the lack of sunlight or starlight filled him with despair.  
  
"I'm just doing my job, your highness," the man replied, surprised. His surprise was nothing compared to Rion's surprise at hearing the man address him by his title.  
  
"Whether by orders or not, you have shown me kindness. For that I thank you." The man smiled, still surprised at hearing polite words from a prisoner.  
  
"You're welcome." He reached round to release Rion's arms from the ring.  
  
"Might I stay up here a while?" Rion asked. The man looked at him closely, surprise replaced by suspicion. "Please," Rion said, "my kind aren't meant to be shut away in darkness." He saw the man's gaze flicker to Rion's ears.  
  
"I'll have to ask the captain," he said, and then called to a man who was nearby, fixing a piece of wood railing on the side of the ship, "Keep an eye on this one." The other man nodded, then the first went off. Rion closed his eyes and rested his head back on the wall behind him. Sunlight lit his face, and the wind touched him gently. His bound hands didn't matter for several long moments as he mind drifted free. In the darkness below the ship it had felt as though he would never experience this again.  
  
When he opened his eyes again the sun had moved considerably. He hadn't realised how much time had gone by. Most of the people who had been moving about the deck earlier were elsewhere, performing other tasks. He looked out at the wide expanse of sea, and noticed saw a group of rocks emerging from the water not far from him. He wondered how there could be rocks on their own in the middle of an ocean, when he learned that they weren't.  
  
"Land in sight!" a voice called. Whatever land had been sighted was hidden from Rion by the wall he was tied to, but at least he knew that his journey was almost over. As people rushed about, many up to the deck behind Rion, the man with stripes on his uniform came up to him, a familiar bottle in his hands.  
  
"Drink," he said, holding it up to Rion's mouth. He hesitated for a moment, considering. He knew the liquid would only send him to sleep, but that would leave him completely at the mercy of these people. Then he realised how foolish that notion was. He was at their mercy anyway, and this man could easily force him to drink if he refused. Or hurt Mir. So Rion opened his mouth to accept the liquid and in moments was asleep.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: Well, what do you think? Please tell me, I love getting reviews. I will explain about the title later on. 


	3. Prince Meets King

Author's notes: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and Gemma, if you're reading this, why aren't you revising? Oh yeah, I remember now, it's cause you've got less exams than everyone else. I hate you, but keep reading anyway.  
  
***  
  
Mir heard the footsteps approaching and guessed they were bringing Rion back. He had been gone for quite some time, and Mir was getting worried. It was obvious that Rion was the one they wanted, not him, but Mir couldn't guess why. He didn't know what they could be doing to his friend.  
  
To his surprise, it was the door of his cell that opened, and there was more than one person there. Four men and two women waited while another man pulled him from the cell and bound his arms tightly behind him. This wasn't just a toilet trip, this was something important. Fear shot through Mir as he wondered if they'd done something to Rion and wanted to show him.  
  
As they led him up the steps, he took a moment just to look around and feel the sun. He might not be part elf like Rion, but he was glad to be in fresh air again after all that time in a cell. He was surprised to see that the ship was in a harbour, but given the time they had been at sea it shouldn't really be that surprising. The harbour was a small one, with only a few ships, but all those were large. It was against a rock face that sent out two arms of rock, protecting it and meaning Mir couldn't see what lay beyond them. In front of him, set up almost against the cliff, was a high wall and behind it Mir could see the top towers of a castle.  
  
The group of guards took him down a narrow gangplank onto dry land. It didn't feel as steady as he remembered, and after the motion of the ship seemed almost to be swaying. Once on the land, one of them wrapped a thick cloth around his eyes. He struggled uselessly, but couldn't prevent them securing it and ensuring he couldn't see a thing.  
  
Then they began moving again. Mir was marched forwards, someone keeping a firm grip on his arms, steering him and ensuring he didn't try to escape. As he walked, he wondered where Rion was. Had they taken him off first?  
  
He heard the sound of a door opening, and then the air suddenly became cooler as they passed inside. He heard the door shut behind him, and shuddered slightly as escape became further away. They went forward some more, and then up some stairs. Mir tried to remember the route they took, but it was quite long. He was certain of one thing though, they went up a lot of stairs.  
  
At last they reached wherever it was they were going. Hands tore the blindfold off and released his arms. Mir turned round to see the door slam shut. He didn't need to hear the sound of the key to know he was locked in. He looked round his knew prison. The room was small, but after the box-like prison on the ship it seemed spacious. There was a narrow bed, and a table with two chairs set at it, but that was all the furnishings the room had. There was a small window in the wall, but it was barred so there was no hope of escape that way. He went to it anyway, and looked out.  
  
His room looked out over a stretch of grass that lay between the wall of the building he was in and another wall a good distance away. Across to the left he could a path going up to a gate in the wall, guarded by soldiers in the uniform with the dragon emblem. Beyond the wall all he could see was the shimmering blue of the sea.  
  
He sat back on the bed and wondered what was happening to Rion. He wished they were together. Even in that horrible cell on the ship things hadn't been so bad because he knew Rion was there and they could talk.  
  
But surely he shouldn't like Rion being there. He should want Rion to be safe and free. And he would be if not for him. The only reason Rion hadn't been able to escape was because Mir had been there. He'd come back because of him, been captured because of him, and now who knew what terrible torture they were putting him through? All because of him. Softly, Mir began to cry.  
  
***  
  
Rion woke slowly, taking in his surroundings before he even opened his eyes. He was lying on something soft, hopefully a bed, and was alone since he couldn't hear anyone else's breathing. He could still smell vomit so he was wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing since the attack. And he was tied down.  
  
He opened his eyes and saw that his assessment was correct. His wrists and ankles were tied with ropes that reached over his body and tied beneath the bed he was lying on, immobilising him very effectively. The surprising thing was that clothes had been wrapped round the ropes where they were tied to him, meaning that they weren't painful against his skin. For whatever reason, the people holding him were specifically trying not to hurt him.  
  
He looked round the room he was in, and was more surprised. He'd stayed in guestrooms that were worse. Two wide windows in one wall let in a lot of sunlight. There was a door in the opposite wall made of a sturdy wood, but carved in a delicate pattern of leaves. The bed was set centrally against one of the other walls, a large four-poster with posts carved in the same manner as the door. Opposite him was a fireplace, with two armchairs on either side of it. In the centre of the room, on a thick rug was a table surrounded by four chairs. As well as these there was a large wardrobe, a chest, a dressing table with a stool by it, a washstand and a full-length mirror. But what was the point of any of these things if he was tied down?  
  
He lay there for some time, and watched as the rectangles of sunlight slowly moved across the floor. Finally he heard footsteps, and a key turned in the lock of the door. Rion watched as a soldier opened it to allow two servants to enter. One carried a steaming jug over to the washstand and set it down before leaving again. The other took a tray of food to the table then went to the chest. She took out clothes and laid them out on top of the chest, before going to the fireplace and laying a fire. Rion watched as she did all this, wondering what the point was. He wouldn't be able to get up to use any of these things.  
  
However, once the fire was laid the servant came up to Rion, looking rather nervous at the prospect. Actually she looked terrified. She began untying the ropes that held him to the bed, looking as though she expected him to leap up and strangle her the instant he was free. Instead he lay calmly, waiting until she was finished.  
  
"Thank you," Rion said, sitting up.  
  
"There's no need to thank me, your highness," she said with a curtsy and left. Rion was puzzled. He might expect the same treatment from a servant in Minas Tirith, not someone in a place where he was kept prisoner.  
  
Well, he might as well eat while he puzzled. He hadn't eaten since before the storm and most of that he had lost, so he was very hungry. The food was good, sweetened porridge and plenty of bread. It felt like years since he had had a hot meal, not since the evening before he had been captured when he had had dinner with his parents.  
  
His parents. They must be so worried about him. His father always got frantic if he was only slightly late home from hunting. He'd probably be tearing the palace apart by now. And his mother. She'd be so upset, loosing her only son. As an elf she didn't often have to face loss.  
  
Rion brushed away the tears and went to the washstand. Stripping down he washed himself completely in the warm water, delighting in the feeling of cleanliness. In minutes he was dressed in the clean clothes, since his own were probably ruined for good. The clothes the servant had laid out for him were of fine cloth, and well tailored, not something he would have expected a prisoner to be given. Nothing here seemed to make sense.  
  
He looked round the room carefully, searching for anything that might be of use. The chest and wardrobe were filled with clothes, some as fine as the ones his father made him wear on formal occasions. All he could find on the dressing table was a silver-handled hairbrush and a gold circlet set with small green stones. They might have given him a comfortable room, but they made sure to remove anything a prisoner could use to aid an escape. The only thing that might be potentially useful was the poker by the side of the fire.  
  
Sighing, he went to one of the windows and looked out. Below him, a long way below, was an orchard. Rion eyed the drop, but knew that even a full elf wouldn't be able to survive it. Surrounding the orchard on all sides were walls filled with windows, but the roof of the building was lower than the room he was in. He must be in some sort of tower. Over the roof he could see a blue sky, and a horizon where storm clouds were beginning to form over the sea.  
  
He turned to face the door as he heard booted feet approaching. Maybe now he would learn something of the purpose of his capture. The door was unlocked and the man who had drugged him came in. He guessed that this man was the captain of that group of soldiers. Behind him more soldiers stood.  
  
"The king has sent for you," the captain said. Rion expected the soldiers to come forward and seize him, but instead the captain looked round the room and then crossed to the dressing table. He picked up the circlet Rion had left, and held it out to him. "You are to wear this."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because the king has given instructions." Rion hesitated for a moment, and then took the circlet. Whatever the room implied, he was a prisoner here, and there was no sense angering his captors about something as senseless as an ornament.  
  
"Follow me," the captain said. He walked towards the door, but looked back when Rion remained where he was. "Would you rather you were dragged?" Rion walked slowly after him, the soldiers falling into place around him.  
  
It was quite a long journey, along corridors and down stairs. He tried to remember the route, but after many turnings he knew he wouldn't have a hope of finding his way again. This place must be huge, judging from the glimpses of other parts of the building that he got through the windows they past. Finally they came to a pair of magnificently carved oak doors, with gold door-handles. The group stopped and the captain knocked once.  
  
"Enter," a voice called from within. The room beyond the doors was as magnificent as the doors themselves. Paintings hung on panelled walls, and rich furnishings stood on a carpeted floor. A tall man stood there: the king.  
  
"Welcome, Prince Eldarion," he said, his expression unreadable. With a wave of his hand he gestured for the guards to close the doors, remaining outside. The captain stayed in the room, but moved to stand behind Rion.  
  
"I trust your journey wasn't too unpleasant," the king continued. Rion didn't even bother to reply.  
  
"Show some respect," the captain snarled.  
  
"When he acts in a manner worthy of respect, I will show some," Rion replied. It was foolish he knew, and wasn't surprised when the captain raised his hand to strike him. But the hand never touched him, for the king raised his hand in a signal to the captain not to.  
  
"Sit, your highness," the king said, and waved a hand to a pair of chairs that sat facing each other. Rion hesitated, but then sat down opposite the king. If he held his king he might get some answers to the questions that were filling his mind. He didn't even know what kingdom he was in.  
  
"Captain Graynal tells me that you tried to escape when he captured you, even though it meant leaving your friends behind."  
  
"There was no sense in us all being captured," Rion answered, "if I could have got free then I could have got help to the others."  
  
"Sensible," the king said, "I'm glad that you don't have such foolish notions of duty that others might have in your place, that it would be better to die by a friend's side than to take the chance of escape offered. I offer you a chance, Prince Eldarion. Your stay here could be a very pleasant one as a royal guest." Rion guessed the price would be one as severe as the price demanded on the journey.  
  
"And what would I have to do for this?"  
  
"Very little, all I ask if for some information of your country." Anger flooded Rion at the notion that he could be thought of as someone who would betray his country, and he forgot all his decisions about holding his tongue.  
  
"I will tell you nothing! No matter what you may do to me! And if you hurt either myself or my friend you will find my 'foolish notions of duty' demand that I kill you." He glared at the king, expecting any moment to be struck. The only thing that struck him however was a soft chuckle from the king's lips.  
  
The surprise calmed Rion, and he realised what a mistake he'd made. By bringing Mir into it he'd told them how much he meant to him. Now they would use Mir against him, hurting him to try and make him speak. By speaking rashly he'd put Mir in danger, and any pain they inflicted on him would be his fault.  
  
"The cub shows his teeth," the king said, smiling, " but you tell as much by your refusal as you would an acceptance. So be it." He lifted his head to speak to the captain who still stood there. "Take the young prince back to his room."  
  
Rion stood, puzzling over the king's comment, and allowed the captain to take him out into the corridor. His mind was flooded with thoughts and ideas. One thing seemed certain, that the king wanted to get information out of him and if he would stoop to kidnap he'd probably be willing to do worse things as well. If he didn't get away now and find Mir the chances were they'd never have a chance of getting out.  
  
Four guards walked around him, two in front on either side, and two behind. One against four didn't give him very good odds, but if he waited the odds were likely to get worse, besides he had surprise on his side.  
  
Rion moved suddenly, bringing his fist into the face of one of the guards behind him. The one next to him tried to grab him, but Rion was moving first, ducking under his outstretched arms and running. He could hear them behind him but didn't turn to look. He just ran.  
  
Something slammed into his back and he fell flat on his face. The something, probably one of the guards, was still there, pinning him painfully to the ground. Rion struggled, but the guards seized his arms firmly and tied them tightly behind him. It was hopeless, and moments later Rion was hauled to his feet, and taken away, the guards holding him so he wouldn't escape again. It was all over so quickly, and now he wouldn't have another chance.  
  
In his despair at the failed attempt, he didn't notice that someone was watching him curiously from a nearby doorway.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: What do you think? Please keep reviewing and I'll keep writing. 


	4. Failure and Loss

Author's note: *Sniff* Nobody loves me. Only one review for the last chapter. Well, if you don't want me to update. . .  
  
***  
  
Mir got to his feet when he heard someone approaching the door. He waited, not entirely sure what to expect, but certain it wouldn't be good. It took a few seconds to process it when all that happened was a servant came in carrying a tray of food. He definitely hadn't been expecting this. By the time his brain had accepted this new circumstance, the servant had placed the tray down on the table. Mir acted quickly.  
  
He charged forward, catching her by surprise and knocking her backwards against the wall. He pressed one hand against her stomach and brought his other arm up so his forearm lay across her throat. For a moment he hesitated, seeing the fear that was written on her features. He'd never had anyone look at him like that before, and he didn't like it. The hesitation only lasted a second however.  
  
"What do you want with me?" he demanded fiercely.  
  
"Please, sir," she stammered, clearly terrified, "I was sent with the food."  
  
"Why was I brought here?"  
  
"I don't know." He could feel her trembling, and knew that she was telling the truth. After all, who would explain the purpose of a kidnapping to a servant? He stepped backwards, releasing her, and she fled.  
  
As Mir sat down and began to eat the meal she'd bought, he regretted what he'd just done. He'd learned nothing and only managed to frighten someone who probably didn't know anything about what was going on. But he was so desperate to find some answers. Why had they been kidnapped? And where was Rion?  
  
In a few moments the door opened again. This time it wasn't a servant who came in, but the man who had drugged Rion on their capture followed by a group of guards. Mir glanced around nervously, as though hoping to see some other escape route he'd missed the other hundred times he'd looked round. He knew the man had come to punish him for what he'd done to that girl, and desperately wished for some way to prevent it.  
  
"I am to bring you to the king," the man said. With a jerk of his head, he signalled for the guards to come forward and grab hold of Mir. He didn't even bother fighting as they bound his hands and put a blindfold around his eyes, since it was clearly pointless.  
  
After the journey up, he wasn't surprised by the amount of stairs he was taken down, but there didn't seem to be as many as he had been taken up. Finally they stopped. Listening carefully, Mir heard someone knock on a door and a voice call that they should enter. The door opened and Mir was pushed forwards. He heard the door close behind him. In the moment's silence that followed, he found himself trembling and couldn't stop it.  
  
"Release him," someone said. Moments later the blindfold was gone and he could get a look at the someone who had spoken. He must be the king. Even without the fine clothes and the crown he had the face of someone who was used to being obeyed. The man who had brought him from his cell was still there, now untying his hands, but the other soldiers were gone.  
  
"What's your name, boy?" the king asked. Mir briefly considered refusing to answer, but the thought of what they could do to him filled his heart with fear.  
  
"Denomir," he said, "son of Alagrand." In the pause that followed he managed to summon the courage to ask, "Where is Rion?"  
  
"He is safe," the king replied, "Neither one of you will be harmed if you co-operate with us." Mir didn't miss the fact he didn't say what would happen if they didn't co-operate.  
  
"All I ask," the king continued, "is a little information about your land."  
  
"You want me to turn traitor?" Mir couldn't keep the anger out of his voice at the prospect.  
  
"If I wanted vital information then I would have captured a soldier. What you could tell me would be of no use for an invasion." Mir didn't believe a word of that. What else could he want information for?  
  
"I will tell you nothing," Mir said.  
  
"Why such loyalty? Surely it cannot hurt to tell me something. I will not ask about your army or defences."  
  
"I will not tell anything to a kidnapper, no matter what the question might be." Something passed across the king's face like a shadow when Mir said that, but it was gone in an instant.  
  
"It will improve your time here if you do." True to his word, Mir said nothing.  
  
"You are as stubborn as your friend," the king said at last.  
  
"Where is he?" Mir asked, worry foremost in his mind.  
  
Almost in answer there was a knock on the door. A soldier came in as soon as the king gave permission. He was slightly breathless, and Mir could see a purple bruise forming on his jaw.  
  
"What has happened?" the king demanded.  
  
"The prince tried to escape," the soldier explained. For a moment Mir allowed himself to hope.  
  
"Tried?"  
  
"He is secure again." Mir's heart sank to even lower depths than before.  
  
"Take this one back to his room," the king ordered, "I will see to the prince." Mir didn't like the sound of that, but there was nothing he could do as he was bound again.  
  
"If you hurt him, I'll kill you," he threatened. The absurdity of his threat came to him as the blindfold was put over his eyes again and the soldiers pushed him out of the door, completely at their mercy.  
  
***  
  
Rion's shoulders were beginning to ache, and he hadn't even been here very long. The soldiers hadn't taken him back to the room he'd woken up in, instead they'd brought him to a dark cell. His arms were held above his head in chains that hung from the ceiling. The only light came from a small rectangle in the door through which someone might look in at him.  
  
It wasn't long before someone did come, none other than the king himself. He came into the cell and stood before Rion, looking at him for a long time before speaking.  
  
"That was rather foolish."  
  
"So was kidnapping me," Rion responded, "It will be considered an act of war. As soon as my father learns where I am. . ."  
  
"He already knows." The interruption caught Rion by surprise.  
  
"I suppose you think your father will be sending a fleet to rescue you," the king said, smiling.  
  
"As any father would."  
  
"He will not be coming for you." Rion didn't say anything to that. Of course his father would come. He wouldn't leave him a prisoner here. "You don't believe me? Very well."  
  
The king turned and beckoned to some guards who were standing waiting outside the door. They came in and released Rion's arms from the chains. He had less than a second to enjoy the feeling of having them free, when they were behind his back and tied securely there. A blindfold was tied across his eyes and the soldiers steered him forwards.  
  
When they reached their destination and the blindfold removed, Rion was standing on a wide balcony, the king beside him. The view in front of them consisted mostly of the blue ocean. On the horizon huge storm clouds were growing, mountains rising above the sea.  
  
"You see those?" the king pointed at the gathering clouds. "The storm you passed through on your journey here was just the beginning. These seas are treacherous at this time of year. No one will dare sail far from shore until spring, neither from here nor from Gondor. Even if your father does send out a fleet, it would never reach here."  
  
Even as he spoke, Rion saw flickers of light from within the clouds, branches of distant lightning. Tears flowed down his cheeks and he did nothing to stop them. That expanse of sea lay there, an impassable barrier between him and his home.  
  
He didn't struggle as they took him back to his room. His heart was too filled with the shock of what he had just heard. His father couldn't come for him, and there was no way for him to escape. He remembered the storm from the voyage across, and would not want to face another like it.  
  
Once the door was closed behind him, he tore the circlet from his head and flung it across the room in anger. They had no right to do this to him! They had no right to take him from his home like this! He thought of his family and everything he would never see again, and the anger was drowned in a sea of grief.  
  
He lay on the bed crying as night fell and the storm approached the castle. Rain fell outside, hitting the windows in sheets of water as though the sea had risen up and covered the castle. Inside water flowed just as readily down Rion's cheeks, but as the night passed, and the tears ran dry, he thought of something, and took hope from something the king had said.  
  
No one would dare sail until the spring, but what then? Surely all he had to do was wait, and then his father would come. The sea was not so impassable, if he was only patient.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: I know it's not much of a cliffhanger, but please review. I love getting reviews. 


	5. Conversations

Author's notes: It seems my threat not to update unless I get reviews isn't having an affect. Either that, or there are only two people who've bothered reading this far. Please review, it doesn't take much time. Just go and click that little 'submit review' button at the bottom of the page. It doesn't have to be long, just let me know that you're reading. Please.  
  
***  
  
The storm had passed by the time Rion woke, and the sun was showing faintly as a patch of lighter grey behind the thin clouds above the palace. His eyes felt strange from crying so much the night before. They seemed to ache slightly.  
  
A tray of food was on the table, and clean clothes had been laid out for him. He must have been deeply asleep not to notice when the servants came in. Once he had eaten and dressed, he tried the door, even though he knew it would be locked. That fact established, he decided to try the windows. To his surprise, they would open. He opened one wide, and felt the cold wind with its tang of salt. Perching on the window ledge and swinging his legs over it felt almost as though he was outside. After that terrible journey and his brief stay in the cell, it was extremely good to feel that.  
  
He closed his eyes and just sat there. He didn't even bother looking round when he heard the door open. It was probably just Captain Graynal bringing more orders from the king. Well, his demands could wait. Rion felt that he had suffered enough, and wasn't going to hurry to ease things for them.  
  
"Get back inside!" It wasn't the voice Rion had been expecting to hear, and there was a note of panic in it that surprised him. Curious, he turned, bringing his legs back inside the room. As he stood, he was able to get a good look at the person who had spoken. She was a girl, about the same age as him. She was pretty, dark-haired and wearing a beautiful dress. Around her head was a circlet of silver, with a silver star in the centre of her forehead. It was the worried expression on her face that surprised him the most.  
  
"I though you were going to jump," she said. That puzzled Rion. Not that she might make that mistake from seeing him on the window, but that she would be concerned about it. These people had abducted him from his home, why should they care if he was hurt?  
  
The girl obviously saw his puzzlement and mistook it. "I'm sorry," she said, "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions." There was a short silence. It seemed the girl didn't know what to say, and while Rion had a million questions he wanted to ask, he wouldn't risk asking them in case he ended up in that cell again.  
  
"You don't look quite like the other elves I've seen," the girl said at last. This seemed to be Rion's day for getting surprised.  
  
"I'm half elf," he said, "well, slightly under half, since my mother isn't a full elf either."  
  
"You're Prince Eldarion?"  
  
"Yes. You didn't know?"  
  
She shook her head, "I only knew that Graynal brought two boys here, I didn't know who you were."  
  
"Then how do you know just from knowing I'm part elf?"  
  
"Elves come here sometimes," she explained, "Not very often, but I talk to them when they do. I heard how the daughter of Elrond Halfelven was marrying a mortal. They seemed to think she was marrying beneath her status." She gave a soft laugh, "Strange, isn't it? Most people would think a king was the highest status you could get."  
  
Rion decided that she wasn't going to have him locked up for curiosity, and so asked, "Why did you come here?"  
  
"Curiosity," she admitted, and Rion almost smiled at the irony, "I saw you yesterday, and your friend, and I was interested in you."  
  
"Mir's alright?" Rion couldn't keep the urgency out of his tone as he asked.  
  
"He seemed to be, but I only caught a glimpse of him. He seemed to be threatening my father."  
  
That didn't sound like Mir. "He hasn't been hurt though?"  
  
"I don't think so. I could find out for you."  
  
"Please. I need to know that he's alright."  
  
The girl nodded, and there was another long silence, but this time Rion was the one to break it.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry. How rude of me. I'm Princess Ariessa, daughter of King Ramel of Tharden."  
  
"Tharden?"  
  
Now it was Ariessa's turn to be surprised. "You don't know where you are?"  
  
"I wasn't exactly given an invitation," Rion said bitterly.  
  
"Why did Father bring you here?"  
  
"I've been wondering the same thing since that monster had me abducted."  
  
"DON'T SPEAK ABOUT MY FATHER LIKE THAT!" Ariessa shouted.  
  
"HOW ELSE DO YOU EXPECT ME TO SPEAK OF A KIDNAPPER?!" Rion shouted back.  
  
"MY FATHER IS A GOOD MAN!"  
  
"KIDNAPPING DOES NOT ENTER MY DEFINITION OF GOOD!"  
  
"HE MUST HAVE A GOOD REASON TO HAVE DONE SO!"  
  
"WHAT REASON COULD POSSIBLY EXCUSE TAKING SOMEONE FROM THEIR HOME BY FORCE?!"  
  
There was a pause. "I don't know," Ariessa said more calmly. There was another silence, this one more awkward than the previous ones.  
  
"I should probably go and find out about your friend," Ariessa said at last, turning to leave. Then something on the floor caught her eye. She picked up the circlet that Rion had flung aside and checked it over for damage.  
  
"You should probably take more care of this," she advised, "Traag can get rather angry if his gifts are mishandled."  
  
"Who's Traag?"  
  
"Not someone you want to anger." She placed the circlet on the dressing table and went to the door. When she opened it, Rion saw the guards on the other side, alert in case the wrong person came through, and he heard the lock click as soon as the door was closed again.  
  
***  
  
"Your highness," Ari stopped and turned to the servant who had spoken, "his majesty wishes to speak with you."  
  
"Thank you," Ari said. The servant left with a bow, and Ari headed to her father's study, feeling rather worried. Her father only summoned her when she'd done something wrong. She wondered if it had been such a good idea to visit Prince Eldarion.  
  
She entered the study a little nervously. "You sent for me, Father."  
  
"Sit down." Ari sat down in one of the chairs opposite the desk where the king sat working.  
  
"I gather you have been to visit our guest," he said, "Why?"  
  
She decided that saying curiosity would probably just make things worse. Her father often that her overactive curiosity was her worst failing. "Pity," she answered.  
  
The king nodded. "And what did you speak of?"  
  
"You're not angry?"  
  
"You would not be the daughter I love so much if you did not pity one who suffers. What did you speak of?"  
  
"Not very much. He says that he was kidnapped. Why?"  
  
"That I cannot answer."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you have too great a heart. If you learn why he was brought here, your pity would move you to tell him, and that I cannot allow. He must not learn why he is here until he has already served his purpose." If her father was trying to diminish her curiosity he was definitely going about it the wrong way. How could she not be curious when he said mysterious things like that?  
  
"What else did he say?"  
  
"He's worried about his friend."  
  
"That is natural. And encouraging." Ari wondered what he meant by that as well.  
  
"He wanted me to tell him about his friend," Ari said.  
  
"Then you may tell him he hasn't been hurt."  
  
"You're saying I should go and talk to him again?"  
  
"If you want to. I expect the prince will not object to having company of his own age."  
  
"I want to," Ari replied. By spending time with Prince Eldarion she might gain some answers to the questions that were plaguing her. Besides, she really did pity him.  
  
***  
  
Rion looked up hopefully as the door opened, but this time it was Captain Graynal who entered.  
  
"The king has sent for you," he said, and then looked pointedly at the circlet still resting where Ariessa had set it. Rion took it and quietly set it on his head. There was no point in arguing after all. They had reduced his guard to only two soldiers, probably thinking he wouldn't try to escape again. They were right. What was the point when home was still unreachable?  
  
He was taken to what was unmistakably a study. The king was seated behind a desk. He motioned for Graynal and the guards to leave, and Rion stood alone just inside the door. It was strange that the king would be willing to risk himself alone with a prisoner, but Rion could see the sword at the king's side, and knew he wouldn't be a match for him anyway.  
  
"Sit," the king ordered softly. Rion went and sat in the chair on the opposite side of the desk from the king.  
  
"I understand that you have spoken with my daughter," he said.  
  
"She came to visit me. If you object to it I suggest talking to her about it," Rion said.  
  
"I already have spoken to her. I gave granted her leave to visit you if she so chooses. I sent for you to warn you. If you even try to harm her in any way. . ."  
  
"I'm not the one who hurts innocents." Rion interrupted. Something flickered on the emotionless face for an instant but was gone before Rion could decide what it was.  
  
"You have not been harmed since you were brought here."  
  
"I was snatched away from my home and my family by force. Isn't that hurt enough?"  
  
"Are you so against kidnapping because you are the victim, or would you feel this way if it were another I held here?"  
  
"Kidnapping is never right, whether the victim is rich or poor, child or adult. It's inexcusable."  
  
"Noble sentiments," the king commented.  
  
"Nobility has nothing to do with it. The lowest born peasant can understand the difference between right and wrong and act accordingly. And even one so high born as a king can act with no concern for what is good." Rion couldn't resist the last comment, but was worried in the momentary silence that followed if it had been a mistake.  
  
Then the king laughed.  
  
"Very clever." Rion didn't think it was, but wasn't going to disagree since he was treading a fine line as it was. "Now I can't punish you for insulting me without proving you right." He laughed. "Practice your subtlety and I think you will have an excellent way of amusing yourself when you're in boring meetings with people you don't like. If you find the right tone to insult them in, they can't be sure you've actually insulted them, and they dare not ask a king." He laughed again, and Rion found himself smiling. There were some people he could name who he would enjoy doing that to.  
  
"Now," the king said, becoming more serious, "since we have established that you're not going to hurt Ari, is there anything that can be done to improve your stay here?"  
  
Rion frowned, unsure of what to make of this offer. He had been kidnapped and kept prisoner, and now the king was speaking to him as if he was an honoured guest. Was this some trick? Watching the king's carefully schooled expression, it was difficult to be sure, but Rion thought the offer was a genuine one.  
  
"I want to see Mir," he said, "I want to know that you haven't hurt him."  
  
"Of course," the king said nodding, "Anything else?"  
  
"I want to go outside. I want to feel the sun and the air and be amongst living things."  
  
"As you wish. You have only to ask your guards and they will take you either to your friend's room or to the gardens. But, if you take advantage of these liberties I'm offering or try to escape, they will be removed and you will find yourself permanently kept in your room." Rion nodded.  
  
It was only when the guards were taking him off to Mir's room that the significance of some of what was said struck him. While he had been advising him how to insult someone, the king had made a comment about not daring to ask a king, meaning Rion. But the only way he would be a king was if he was returned home. Trying to understand this, and the sudden change in the way he was being treated, Rion found himself in a better mood than he had been since the attack. Perhaps things were not so hopeless after all.  
  
***  
  
Author's notes: Please review. 


	6. A Good Argument

Author's note: I don't know why I bother updating since you obviously don't consider my story good enough to review. If you bother, I'll bother. Deal?  
  
***  
  
Mir stood, tense and expectant, as the door opened. To his amazement it was Rion who came in. In was even more amazing that he looked as much a prince now as when he was in Minas Tirith, dressed in finery and with a gold circlet across his forehead.  
  
In the moment that Mir stood staring, Rion leapt across the room and flung his arms round his friend. Mir forgot his amazement in his relief, and hugged Rion back.  
  
"Are you alright?" Rion asked.  
  
"Yes, are you?" Rion nodded. "They said you tried to escape," Mir said, "and then the king said he'd see to you."  
  
"They didn't hurt me." Rion explained all that had happened since he had first woken up here. Once he had finished Mir told his story. It was quite a long time before they had finished. Mir thought about what Rion had said and decided that Ariessa had probably been send to get information out of him.  
  
"I don't think so," Rion said when Mir told him, "I think she just came out of curiosity."  
  
"Would a girl normally go look at a prisoner because she was curious about him? She'd be too afraid he'd hurt her."  
  
"Maybe," Rion admitted, but Mir could see he didn't really believe it. Probably taken in by a pair of pretty eyes. They talked some more, and inevitably ended up discussing the possibility of escape.  
  
"Do you think the king was being honest about the storms?" Mir asked.  
  
"I think so," Rion replied, "I remember the storm we passed through on our way here and I don't want to go through that again." Mir shuddered, remembering the hideous motion of the ship, the fear he had felt that they would all be drowned. He wasn't keen on it either.  
  
"We'll have to wait 'til spring," Rion said.  
  
"And what then? Neither of us could sail a ship home." There was a pause as Rion thought. Mir thought about it to, but all the options he thought of involved them being drowned or recaptured, neither of which were very pleasing options.  
  
"Bribery," Rion suggested.  
  
"Slight problem, neither of us has anything to bribe anyone with."  
  
"Not here," Rion agreed, "but if we promise them a reward for getting us home, I'm sure my father would be happy to give them it." Mir nodded. He doubted anyone susceptible to bribes would be trustworthy, but they might be relied upon to help until they were given their fee.  
  
It was beginning to grow dark outside when the door opened and a servant came in with a tray of food. She looked rather nervously at the two boys, and the hands carrying the tray trembled slightly. Mir guessed the tale about what he had done had got round. A guard came in the door behind her.  
  
"Your highness," he addressed Rion, "I should take you back to your room now."  
  
"I'll come and see you as soon as they'll let me," Rion said and left with the guard. Mir sat alone for a while. Somehow the loneliness had been increased by Rion's visit, because now he had to face the thought of more time alone, not knowing what was happening or when he would see his friend again. The king had said Rion could come to see him, but Mir didn't trust a word he said. No one who kidnapped people and asked them to betray their country could be trusted to speak a word of truth.  
  
***  
  
Ari walked into the main gardens where she had been told Prince Eldarion was. She was glad her father was letting him come outside, from the few conversations she had with those elves who visited she knew how important it was for them to be among living things. Prince Eldarion might only be part elf, but he would probably feel the same way.  
  
As she looked around, she couldn't see the prince at first. She saw the two guards, standing idly around, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. For a few moments she was worried, but then the wind moved the branches of an oak tree, and she caught a glimpse of green fabric behind the brown leaves.  
  
She walked to the tree and looked up at where Prince Eldarion was sitting, apparently oblivious to the green-brown stains on his shirt, staring into the distance. He glanced down at her when he heard the crunch of leaves, but then looked away, almost disdainfully it seemed to her.  
  
"What are you doing?" she called up to him.  
  
"Sitting," he replied.  
  
"I can see that. Why?" He shrugged, and kept staring.  
  
"Could you come down?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I want to talk to you, and it's difficult with you up there and me down here."  
  
"Then you should come up." Ari hesitated. The prince was perched somewhat precariously on a narrow branch, his feet stretched across a wide gap to rest on another branch. There was very little supporting him and the fall was a long one.  
  
"Are you frightened?" the prince asked, smiling slightly, and finally turning to look at her.  
  
"No!" she replied a little too quickly, "Of course not!" She put her hand on a low branch and tried to tell herself there was nothing to worry about. After all, she'd been higher than the highest tree before now. She pulled herself up onto the branch with some difficulty as her dress got tangled around her legs. She would have worn something more practical if she'd known she'd be climbing dress.  
  
She continued upwards with the same difficulty. At one point she made the mistake of looking down. The ground was close enough to seem frighteningly real, but at the same time was terrifyingly far away. She shuddered and returned her concentration to the branches she was clinging to.  
  
By the time she reached Prince Eldarion, he was laughing softly. Ari glared at him fiercely.  
  
"You try climbing in a dress!" she said. Then an image came unbidden into her mind of the prince wearing one of her dresses, perched as he was now, and she began to laugh as well.  
  
The laughter was cut short as a strong gust of wind made the branch she was sitting on sway hideously, and she gripped until her knuckles turned white. She was at the mercy of the wind, and it felt as though she could be flung to the ground in an instant should the weather decide to be cruel.  
  
"Are you afraid of heights?" the prince asked.  
  
"No," she replied, reasonably honestly, "I just prefer to have something solid beneath me when I'm in the air." He looked puzzled at that, and Ari wondered if perhaps she'd said something she shouldn't.  
  
"Why did you want to talk to me?" Prince Eldarion asked.  
  
"I thought you might be lonely."  
  
"If your father is a man of his word I can go see my friend if I become lonely. Why should I need to speak to you?" Ari fought down the rage his implied insult of her father caused.  
  
"Surely having someone to talk to is preferable to sitting up here alone," she said.  
  
"I'm not alone. I'm with the tree."  
  
"Trees don't make very good conversationalists."  
  
"Perhaps not to humans, your highness." The way he spoke her title reminded her of all the formal dinners and state occasions she had to get bored through.  
  
"Can't we dispense with formalities?" she asked, "We're both the same rank after all."  
  
"Very well, Ariessa."  
  
"Ari," she corrected.  
  
"You can call me Rion. No one ever calls me Eldarion except my father, and only when I'm in trouble."  
  
"Let me guess," she said, "'Such childish behaviour is not suitable for one of your rank.' 'You must behave in a dignified manner at all times.' 'You are not like other children and to behave as though you were the worst of brats is simply intolerable.'"  
  
Rion laughed. "You even got the tone right. Have you met him?"  
  
"I don't need to," Ari replied, "my father's just the same."  
  
The expression on Rion's face changed instantly from mirth to pure fury. "My father is nothing like yours!" he snarled.  
  
"You need not say it as though it were such a terrible thing!" Ari snapped back.  
  
"It is a terrible fate for a good man to be compared with one who condones kidnapping!" Ari could have hit him, but was afraid that doing so would result in her landing in a bruised heap at the bottom of the tree.  
  
"I do not know the reason for my father bringing you here," Ari said with fury to match Rion's, "but he must have felt the reason justified the crime. Occasionally even the best person will do something that is wrong, but that doesn't change the fact that their intentions are pure. Humans are not infallible. And nor are elves."  
  
"But humans can still know something is wrong and choose to do otherwise," Rion countered.  
  
"Have you never done anything wrong?"  
  
"Nothing that rates with kidnapping."  
  
"Where do you draw the line between what is an acceptable wrong, and what is not?"  
  
"When someone gets hurt!"  
  
"Father has not hurt you!"  
  
"Maybe not physically, but there are other ways to hurt someone! And anyone who enjoys hurting people cannot be considered good!"  
  
"Father doesn't take pleasure in other people's pain!" She made the mistake of leaning forwards as he she spoke and in her anger lost her grip on the branch. She had less than a second to process the terror of having nothing beneath her when she hit the ground with just force that it knocked the breath from her lungs. The pain blacked everything out for a few moments, but as she got over the shock it diminished to a dull ache. She would probably have some impressive bruises because of this.  
  
Those moments were all the time it took for Rion to descend the tree and the guards run over.  
  
"Your highness, are you injured?" one of the guards asked.  
  
"I'm fine," Ari replied, getting to her feet.  
  
"I'm sorry," Rion said. Ari didn't bother to reply. After all, it was his fault she'd fallen and made such a fool of herself. She was only trying to be kind. She walked away.  
  
"Ari," Rion called. She stopped, but didn't turn to look at him. "I didn't mean to offend you," he continued, "but please try to see things from my perspective." Ari walked off again, and this time he didn't stop her.  
  
A long while later, Ari sat by her window still running the scene over and over in her mind. Her father was a good man and Rion was judging him without knowing all the information. But surely he was right that nothing could excuse kidnapping. Her father had treated Rion well. But he'd also taken him from his home.  
  
The arguments went round and round in her head until she didn't know what to think any more. She pitied Rion, but she was also angry with him. But when she thought about his situation she became angry with her father, and the only reason she had been angry with Rion was because he had been angry with him.  
  
She'd never sort this out like this. She needed to argue it through with someone so she could see all the different points separately and come to a conclusion. Traag was always happy to argue something over with her. He said arguments were more interesting than just having a conversation.  
  
***  
  
Author's notes: I know it's not much of a cliffhanger, but I hope I've caught your interest and you're all wondering who Traag is.  
  
The thing about arguing is true. It's the reason my best friend and I spend most of our time arguing, although our arguments tend to deteriorate to the stage of 'is' 'isn't' 'is' 'isn't'. The current argument is about which of us is the more stubborn. 


	7. A Better View

Author's note: Yet again, no reviews. Are you hinting that I should give up and not bother posting any more?  
  
***  
  
Rion spent most of his time with Mir, but often went into the gardens during the afternoon. He tried to convince the guards to let Mir come outside, but apparently their orders demanded otherwise.  
  
Ari would often come to see him when he was in the garden. Since that first day she hadn't worn a dress once, but instead sensible trousers that made climbing trees much easier. Rion had been surprised that she bothered to spend time with him, after the argument they had had.  
  
"I've been thinking about what you said," she had told him, "and you're right. I can't imagine what could justify kidnap. But since I've tried to see things your way, will you try to see them my way?"  
  
"What do you mean?" he had asked.  
  
"You've told me your father is a good man who would never consider kidnap. What if he did? What if, for some unknown reason, he ordered the kidnapping of another? Wouldn't you try with all your might to think of some way it could be excused? Put yourself in my shoes. How would you act if I man you believed good beyond all doubt suddenly acted in a way so utterly against his character?" Rion conceded she had a point, but couldn't help feeling she was just a fool. A silly little girl who was deliberately not seeing what was in front of her.  
  
Still, he quite liked her talking to him. She smiled a lot, whereas lately Mir had become very dismal. It was understandable, given all that had happened, but Rion wanted to forget this whole terrible situation and Ari helped do that.  
  
"Don't you get cold out here?" Ari asked.  
  
"A little," Rion replied, "but it's a choose between sitting out here or sitting in my room."  
  
"Your room's not so bad. Father gave you one of the best guest rooms in the palace."  
  
"It's still a prison." So much for forgetting about being a prisoner here.  
  
"I could talk to Father about letting you see a little more of the palace," Ari suggested. Rion shrugged, trying not to show how much he wanted it. If he could see more of the palace, he might be able to figure out a way to escape. It wouldn't be much use now, but come spring he would need to know all he could. However, if he was too enthusiastic about the idea, Ari would become suspicious.  
  
Besides, Mir thought she was a spy and Rion sometimes considered that he might be right. She hadn't asked anything that could be useful to anyone, but that could very easily be a front to put him off his guard.  
  
He wondered later if he had made a mistake in acting so casually about it. She might decide he wasn't interested in seeing the rest of the palace and not bother asking about it. Or she might tell her father and he would get suspicious that he didn't care. Ari might be a fool, but he didn't think the king was. It was a delicate line between acting too casual and too enthusiastic, and Rion thought he might have strayed to far from it.  
  
That was why he was surprised with Ari showed up early the next day. Rion had only just finished his breakfast and was about to go and see Mir. She was wearing trousers again, rather than a dress, and had her dark hair tied back. She might be a fool, but she was a pretty one.  
  
"Father's given me permission to show you more about the palace," she said, "but if you try to escape you'll be locked up and you won't even be allowed to see your friend."  
  
"All right." Since he wasn't planning to escape for a while he would have plenty of opportunity to learn all he could about this place.  
  
"Is there anything in particular you'd like to see?"  
  
Rion didn't say the way out, since he doubted she'd agree to that. "You know this place," he said, "surely you know the best parts to show me."  
  
"I could show you the library, or the great hall."  
  
"Whatever you think best." Ari went and picked up the circlet from the dressing table and tossed it to him. Rion wondered why everyone thought it was so important. It was only a piece of jewellery. But he put it on anyway, and Ari led him out into the corridor, the guards following close behind.  
  
So it wasn't much later when Rion stood in a hall as large as the ballroom in Minas Tirith. Beautifully worked paintings hung on wooden walls showing green-grey landscapes of mountains and sea. An island rising out of the water to a central mountain range. Rion guessed that they were of this land.  
  
One wall of the room was made entirely of glass, with doors opening onto a wide lawn decorated with fountains and statues. Rion supposed that parties would spill out onto that lawn. Thinking along these lines made him remember the ballroom back home and the parties there. Some of Rion's earliest memories were trying to convince his father he was old enough to go to the balls. Only two years ago had his father agreed and allowed him to come. Looking round this foreign hall he wondered if he would ever have a chance to grace the dance floor of his father's balls. Would he ever sit at his father's right hand at banquets?  
  
Tears rose behind his eyes, but Rion forced them back. He wouldn't show his weakness. He couldn't.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ari asked, putting a hand on his arm.  
  
"Nothing," Rion responded, shrugging off her hand. He walked over to one of the paintings and stared at it until the need for tears was gone. As he looked at the picture, he saw that there was something flying in the patch of sky in one corner. It was painted faintly in the distance, and Rion wondered what could be so large that it could be seen at such a distance.  
  
"A beautiful picture, isn't it?" said Ari.  
  
"Very," Rion agreed.  
  
"What would you like to see now?" Ari asked after a few minutes.  
  
"How would I know? I don't know what there is to see."  
  
"If you like paintings I could show you the gallery."  
  
As they walked through the corridors on the way to the gallery, Rion was surprised by the number of people they passed. Some were presumably servants, and there were some in the soldier's uniform he was coming to recognise, but there were many others who didn't fit in either of those categories.  
  
"How many people live here?" Rion asked.  
  
"In the palace itself? I don't know, probably about a thousand."  
  
"A thousand?" Rion couldn't keep the amazement out of his voice.  
  
"Most of the nobles have an apartments here. And there are craftsmen living here. If they live in the palace, everyone assumes they must be brilliant and they can charge double what they would if they lived in the main town. There are also various traders who live here for pretty much the same reason."  
  
"So you've basically got a mini town inside the palace?" Ari nodded.  
  
"Doesn't that cause a problem with security?"  
  
"Why should it? We've got the guards and they would stop anyone trying to harm the royal family."  
  
Rion doubted his father would be convinced by such an argument. King Elessar spent most of his time worrying that his children might get kidnapped, to such and extent that Rion was surprised he wasn't permanently locked in his room. Though granted, circumstances had proved his father right in his fear.  
  
***  
  
Mir paced his small room anxiously. Rion had normally been to see him by now. Where was he? Terrified thoughts filled his head about the torture they could be putting him through, trying to get information out of him. He knew this act of kindness wouldn't last long.  
  
Time past slowly. He had no idea how much time, since the sun was hidden by a thick cover of cloud, but it must have been hours. His midday meal was delivered, but he didn't feel like eating. He paced some more until his legs ached from the exercise.  
  
He was on the verge of panicking that they might have done something terrible to him when the door opened and Rion stepped in. Mir was hugging him before he knew what was happening.  
  
"What is it?" Rion asked.  
  
"I thought they'd done something to you."  
  
"I'm fine," Rion assured him, "Ari was showing me some of the palace." Her.  
  
"She's a spy!" Mir snapped, "Don't you see what she's doing? She's trying to get close to you so that you'll talk about Gondor. The king knows he won't get anything out of us willingly so he's tricking you."  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Why else would he let her come near you? Are you forgetting we're prisoners here?"  
  
"Of course not!" Rion snapped back, "I went with her today so I could find out more about this place! So we have a better chance of escape when spring comes!" It did make sense, and Mir regretted having snapped at him. He'd just been so worried, and the thought that Rion would wander off with that girl without thinking about his friend's feelings made him angry.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rion," Mir said.  
  
"That's all right," Rion replied, " I didn't mean to make you worried. I'm sorry."  
  
"All's forgiven."  
  
"I'll try not to do something like this again," Rion said, "but if they give me an opportunity like this, I don't know if I'll get the chance again. We need to learn as much about this place as possible if we're to escape. If I don't come to see you like I normally do, I'll probably be doing that."  
  
"I'll try not to worry."  
  
They sat together on the bed, and Rion told Mir about everything Ari had shown him: the hall and the gallery, the negotiation rooms.  
  
"At the very least we could get out through the hall. I think I could find the way back. The problem is there's no cover outside the wall. We'd easily be spotted. I saw another door into a garden, but I think it was surrounded by the building on all sides, like the one they let me out into." They talked for a long time, discussing the possibilities. At last the guards opened the door and insisted that Prince Eldarion should return to his own room.  
  
"In a few days I'll see if I can convince Ari to show me more," Rion said softly to Mir, "Don't worry." Mir nodded and watched as Rion was led off. In the silence that followed, he looked around the small room and wished he could see the palace like Rion was doing. All he saw every day were the same four walls and he was sick of them. Rion might be a prisoner, but he still had more freedom that Mir could hope to get.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: As cliffhangers go, it's pretty pathetic. But I can promise there will be a better cliffhanger at the end of the next chapter. If I bother to post it considering the reception this story's getting at the moment. 


	8. Swordplay

Author's note: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I try to reply personally, but here's a quick note to those of you who didn't give an email address.  
  
Anonymous: With the amount of ideas I get a day, I can't write all of them, and I think it's reasonable to stop writing if people don't think one's very good. But since you do think this one's a good story, I'll keep it up. You don't need to worry about me enjoying writing, since that's never an issue.  
  
ms.mistoffelees: I'm glad its one of your favourites, and if you like it that much I will make sure to keep writing.  
  
And now a note for someone who isn't reviewing. Gemma, if you don't review, I'll tell Geff you don't want any more surprise parcels.  
  
***  
  
Two weeks. Fourteen days since his arrival here, plus however long that hellish journey had taken. Rion lay back on his bed and thought about it, while the rain beat against the windows. Two weeks. Would his mother still be crying? Would his father still be franticly yelling at the guards for not protecting him, but inside blaming himself? Would his sister still be asking why Ri wasn't coming to play any more? How long would it last before they began to rebuild their lives without him?  
  
He had begun thinking in this depressing way and now couldn't stop himself. He kept telling himself that he would find some way to escape. Some way to get home. But another part of his mind kept insisting it was impossible.  
  
Lightening tore violently across the sky outside, but between flashes the day was as dark as night. As dark as the situation seemed to be. Somehow when the sun was shining he was able to hope, but with the storm that raged outside all he's hope seemed drowned in despair. He had spent the morning with Mir as usual, but couldn't go out into the gardens in this weather.  
  
As he lay there he heard soft footsteps outside his door, and knew it was Ari. He sat up as she entered. Her hair was tied back from her face, exposing the delicate arch of her slender neck. Rion stopped his thoughts before they wandered too far down that road. She seemed nervous about something.  
  
"Rion," she asked, "do you swear not to kill me or try and hurt me?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I need you to swear." Rion thought for a moment to see if he was being tricked, but couldn't think why she would want his oath. Finally he didn't to risk it.  
  
"I swear," he said, "that I will not kill you, nor will I try to hurt you unless you should do something to hurt me first."  
  
"Good enough," she laughed, and led him from the room. To his surprise, she didn't insist on him wearing the circlet. He guessed that something different was happening today.  
  
The room she led him to was in a different direction to the rooms she had shown him the day before. As he stepped inside, he felt there was something strange about the floor. It seemed to give slightly as he walked on it. He soon realised it was made up of thin mats. Nothing much, but enough to soften a fall.  
  
Along the walls of the large room were huge cupboards. In the centre of each wall was a door, one of which they had just come through, but where the others led Rion couldn't have guessed. Ari strode purposely towards a cupboard that looked no different that any of the others, but she unlocked it with a small key. Rion noticed that all the cupboards had locks, so probably held something valuable.  
  
Or dangerous, he reassessed as he saw the contents of the cupboard Ari had opened. A rack of swords stood on the floor of the cupboard, and hung on the back wall were several elegant bows and quivers of arrows. She pulled a sword out of the rack and handed it to Rion. He knew before he drew it out of the sheath that it was his, simply by the weight of it in his hand. So light and elegant, its hilt shaped to fit perfectly in his hand.  
  
Ari took out a sword of her own, and drew off the sheath. Her sword was as much a work of craftsmanship as Rion's. The blade was long and slender, the hilt guard shaped like a dragon, its head raised towards the hilt, the tale lowered towards the blade. And she held it with an ease that suggested she was used to wielding it.  
  
"You see now why I needed your oath?" Ari asked, "I used to practice fighting with me sister, Lis, but since she left I've had no one and I'm worried I might lose my touch."  
  
"I don't feel right fighting a girl," Rion said.  
  
"Why? Afraid you'll lose?"  
  
"Of course not! I just don't want to hurt you."  
  
Ari laughed. "Let's fight." She strode into the centre of the room, and Rion followed, unsheathing his sword. They faced each other, and for a moment there was stillness.  
  
Rion waited, letting Ari make the first move. She might not be able to block one of his blows, and he would wait to see her ability before he risked striking her. She brought her sword to his left side, but he blocked it easily, and the one on his right as well. Ari was testing his defences.  
  
Rion brought his sword round in a blow to her side. There was a clash as Ari's sword met it, and in a swift move, she grabbed his right wrist with her free left hand and spun, bringing her elbow into Rion's stomach. Instinctively he doubled over, and while he was still off-balance, Ari hooked her leg round his and before he knew it Rion was flat on his back.  
  
"I don't think you need worry about hurting me," Ari said with a laugh. Rion was on his feet in an instant. The blow to his stomach hadn't been hard, it had just winded him for a moment. He'd received far worse blows training with his father.  
  
"We haven't finished yet," he said. This time Rion didn't hold anything back. The two fought fiercely until both were breathing heavily, but neither managed to breach the other's defences. While Rion was certainly the stronger, Ari was faster, and managed to block every strike almost before he had thought it.  
  
"Ariessa!" At that cry of fury, both stopped, and turned to the door. Rion saw that Ari was trembling slightly as the king strode towards them, his soldiers following, and fear filled him as well. He was too shocked to resist as the king snatched his sword from his hand.  
  
"Go to my study!" the king ordered Ari, and she fled, her sword falling to the ground as she did so. Rion stood alone before the king. His eyes dropped to the floor to avoid the angry gaze. As his body cooled, his sweat- soaked shirt froze him to the bone.  
  
But the trembling wasn't just from the cold. He had promised Mir he wouldn't make the king angry. What would he do to them now? Rion knew that his limited freedom would be gone, and he would have no way to discover a route of escape. If he even survived until spring. The expression on the king's face suggested otherwise.  
  
The few seconds that seemed an eternity stretched onwards and Rion stood before the furious king.  
  
"Take him back to his room!" the king ordered at last. Instead of simply leading him away as he was becoming accustomed to, the soldiers seized Rion's arms in iron grips and marched him out. Rion heard the king say something to one of the soldiers, but it was said too softly for him to hear what it was.  
  
***  
  
Ari sat waiting in her father's study. She had managed to stop the trembling, but the truth was she would rather face Traag enraged than her father when he was like this. She should probably have asked his permission before taking Rion to the training room, but she knew he'd have said no, and she did want someone to practice with.  
  
She heard the door open and then close softly. She knew the exact expression that would be on her father's face. The look of cold fury. There were times when he would lose his temper and yell, and she could handle those, it was when he was calm she worried.  
  
She kept her eyes on the wooden surface of the desk as he crossed the room and sat down.  
  
"Foolish child!" Ari didn't respond. She'd learned from experience that her father would say what he wanted, so she might as well listen to everything now and get it over with, hopefully he would see her silence as shame and be quicker to forgive.  
  
"I gave you permission to show him more of the palace, not to hand a weapon to him! You may have forgotten he is a prisoner here, but I doubt he has! Do you not think he would gladly use a sword if he thought it could help him escape?"  
  
"I made him swear not to hurt me," Ari responded.  
  
"Do you know him well enough to know the value of his word?"  
  
"I know he'd never break an oath," Ari said, meeting her father's eyes for the first time, and seeing concern there rather than the anger she had been expecting. "I've spent time with him, spoken to him. I know him to be honourable."  
  
"I hope so, Ari. But I do not want you putting yourself at risk like this when you hardly know the boy. If you do anything that might put yourself or any other in danger, you will not be allowed to see him again. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, Father."  
  
"Now go." Ari left gladly, and decided she would wait a day or two before visiting Rion again. She just hoped her father wouldn't decide to punish him for her mistake. He shouldn't do, since Rion hadn't done anything wrong, but her father was very protective of her.  
  
She remembered something Lis had said once. He would protect them from going outside in case the sun burnt them or the wind chilled them, and he would protect them from staying inside least they began to fear the world outside. She missed Lis, with all her odd sayings and strange jokes. When would she be coming home?  
  
***  
  
Rion waited in his room. He knew that it wouldn't be long before they came to punish him. He could tell them that he'd not meant to hurt Ari, but he doubted they'd believe him. He'd been angry at being beaten by her, and that had made him fiercer than normal. If the king had seen that, there was no way he would believe him.  
  
He wondered why Ari had taken him to the training room if she wasn't allowed to. Had she meant to get him into trouble? All the things Mir had said about her came back to him then. He didn't believe them. Ari was a kind girl, a little foolish at times, but Rion didn't seriously believe she'd do something to hurt him. Still there was some part of his mind, the part that trusted Mir most, that wanted to label Ari as nothing better than a spy.  
  
At last he heard footsteps outside the door: purposeful and firm. He stood facing the door, waiting for whatever would come with all the dignity of a prince. He recognised the man who entered as one of the guards who had come with the king into the training room. Instead of summoning Rion out, he carefully shut the door. Rion was filled with curiosity, since the guard obviously had some set purpose, but he wasn't sure he really wanted to know what it was.  
  
Then he learned. The guard turned towards him and pulled a knife out of a sheath at his side. Rion's first instinct was to step backwards, and he quickly raced through everything his father had told him about defence against knives.  
  
As the guard lifted the knife to strike him, Rion darted forwards, seizing the man's wrist and twisting. The surprise made him drop the knife, but he pulled his hand free before Rion could do any serious damage.  
  
Rion kicked the knife away, but the man struck him across the face and he stumbled into the bed. He was on his feet in an instant, facing his attacker. The man lunged again. Rion took advantage of the fact he was no longer so balanced, and dodged sideways, keeping one leg out. He caught the guard round the waist, and used his own weight to bring him over his hip and onto the ground.  
  
While the man was on the ground, Rion turned and went for the knife. His hand was just wrapping around the hilt when the man jumped on him from behind. He hit the ground hard, releasing the knife, and gasping in pain as the man's weight pressed into his back. It took him an instant to recover, then he rolled sideways, throwing the man from his back.  
  
He scrambled to his feet and looked at the man lying face down on the floor. He breathed heavily, tense and ready for the next strike, but the man would never strike again. As the moments passed and Rion's breathing calmed, a fear began to fill him. The man lay motionless.  
  
Fearing some trick, Rion went to him. He slid his hands under the man's body and they were met with wetness. He rolled him onto his back, and saw the knife buried in the man's chest. The crimson staining his hands. And the man's eyes.  
  
Staring lifelessly at him.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: I've tried to make the fight plausible, using some of the stuff I've learned in self-defence at school, but I'm not an expert so I hope you'll forgive any mistakes. Although it has been pointed out that I look scary when punching and kicking. 


	9. He's no murderer

Author's notes: Thank you, Gemma, for all your wonderful reviews. I'll tell GEFF to let you have lots of lovely parcels.  
  
Silvaqua Veris, I'm glad my typing's getting better and I hope you keep enjoying my story.  
  
Oh mighty Bean02, I'm updating as you command. No, Rion hasn't killed anyone before. And I think you'd better not let me into your car as I've a tendency to get travel sick.  
  
***  
  
The chains dug into Rion's wrist as he hung from them, but he didn't notice. He ribs were sore from the blows that had been dealt him, but he didn't feel it. His shoulders were aching from supporting his weight, but he didn't care enough to stand and put the weight on his legs for a time.  
  
The only thing he felt was the dried blood counting his hands with a stain that would never wash away. He had killed a man. And now he just stared into the darkness, seeing those dead eyes staring back at him.  
  
Did he have children, Rion wondered. Were there children grieving for him as Rion would grieve if his father died? Did he have a wife who would weep at the news that her husband had been murdered?  
  
Time passed, but when he even noticed he thought it was what he deserved. After all, shouldn't murderers be locked away? The bruises and sore wrists were a just punishment. Anything else they did to him would be fitting as well.  
  
Rion wept, but not for himself. He wept for the life he had ended. The future that man would never know.  
  
***  
  
Ari stood in her father's study, and watched him pace, filled with some energy he needed to rid himself of. She drew back, trying to shrink inside herself and disappear. She saw the anger boiling just below the surface. And the sorrow.  
  
"Garen was a good soldier!" he snarled, "A good man!"  
  
"He wouldn't have done this without cause," Ari said softly.  
  
"You've known him a few days and you think yourself the judge of his character?"  
  
Ari didn't respond. She wanted to tell him that she did know Rion. But her father was right. She'd known him two weeks, and that was hardly long enough to have learned much about him. She was certain he wouldn't kill anyone, but the evidence was against him.  
  
Graynal, who stood waiting by the door, chose this moment to speak. "Your majesty, I saw the way the boy looked when we found him and Garen. He was shocked and trembling. I doubt that would be the reaction of an intended murderer."  
  
"Perhaps so. Or perhaps he is just trying to fool us."  
  
"Why should he hurt Garen?" Ari asked. "He had nothing to gain from it."  
  
"What I do not understand," Graynal said, "is how he was able to obtain a dagger."  
  
"We have my daughter to thank for that." Ari looked away as her father sent a glare in her direction, before rising up to defend herself and Rion.  
  
"There were no daggers in that cupboard, and I would have seen if he had taken anything but his sword, which you took from him," she said.  
  
"Even so, he had the opportunity to acquire a weapon, and so could have planned the attack."  
  
"Surely we should hear his side before judging him," Ari protested.  
  
"I will listen to him," her father said, "but you are to remain here. I will deal with you later." Ari sank into a chair as he and Graynal left. Rion wouldn't do this. He was no murderer.  
  
***  
  
Rion looked up as the door opened. The king entered, Captain Graynal following behind. The light that streamed through the door blinded him momentarily as he hung there from the chains.  
  
"Stand up!" the king ordered. Shakily, Rion set his feet on the ground and stood, but his legs felt wobbly beneath him, so he grasped the chains that held his wrists tightly to support some of his weight.  
  
"Why did you do it?" the king demanded, "Why did you kill him?"  
  
"I. . ." Rion began, "I didn't mean. . ." He broke off, tears filled his eyes and he saw again those blank, lifeless eyes.  
  
"What happened?" the king asked, still fiercely, but less so than before.  
  
Rion began to talk. Somehow it helped to speak, and once the words started nothing could stop them. He spoke of how he had feared punishment, and how the soldier had come. He spoke of how the soldier had tried to kill him. How he hadn't meant for him to die.  
  
"I want to believe you," the king said, once he had finished, "but Garen was a good soldier and wouldn't have tried to strike you unless he was ordered to, and he was not."  
  
Garen. Knowing the man's name made things worse. It made it seem more real. It wasn't just some nameless solder he had killed, but a man with a name.  
  
"I'm sorry," Rion sobbed.  
  
"That," the king said, "I do believe. But you are to remain here until we have evaluated the evidence and can decide whether or not you were provoked. When we have reached that decision, you will either face punishment or be released." Rion nodded, feeling that they would surely judge him guilty. Some part of him wanted it: wanted to face justice for what he had done.  
  
***  
  
Mir was worried. Rion hadn't come to see him today. Rion had told him he would try to convince Ari to show him more of the palace, but Mir couldn't help worrying that something terrible had happened to him. They were prisoners here, and anyone who would kidnap them would hurt them without a second thought.  
  
He paced the floor, the only exercise he could do to relieve the tension inside him. At last the door opened, and he spun to face it, hoping it was Rion. It wasn't. The captain Rion said was called Graynal stood there, with two soldiers.  
  
"What's happening?" Mir asked, "Where's Rion?" The only answer he received came from two pairs of hands seizing him and tying his arms behind his back. "Where's Rion?" he demanded again, but again he was given no answer. The blindfold was put over his eyes and he was forced firmly out of the door.  
  
His whole being was filled with fear. There had been something fierce behind the eyes of the captain and Mir could only imagine what had happened. Rion must have done something to make them angry. They must have found out they were looking for a way to escape and now they were going to punish them. Where was Rion?  
  
In a few minutes, the blindfold was torn off, and Mir looked round the study he had seen before. The king stood in front of him, his face expressionless. Behind the king was a dark-haired girl, who looked away when Mir's gaze fell on her. From Rion's descriptions, he guessed this was Ari.  
  
"Where's Rion?" Mir asked.  
  
"In a cell," the king replied, and Mir's heart froze. "He killed one of my soldiers."  
  
The absurdity of that statement could have made Mir laugh under different circumstances. "He wouldn't kill anyone," Mir said.  
  
"The man lay dead in the prince's room, his blood on the prince's hands."  
  
"I know Rion. I know he wouldn't kill anyone."  
  
"The evidence says otherwise."  
  
"Where would he have got a weapon?" Mir asked, hoping they would see just how impossible it would me for Rion to kill someone. To Mir's surprise, the king glanced towards the girl, who shifted almost guiltily. So she had something to do with this. Mir knew he'd been right to be mistrustful of her.  
  
"Rion would not kill anyone," Mir said again, "and if you do anything to hurt him I will make sure you suffer at least twice as much." The captain who still stood behind him gripped Mir's arms so tightly his fingers dug painfully into his flesh.  
  
"If your friend is innocent as you seem to think," the king replied, "he will not be punished. But if he is not, he will be punished according to our laws." Then he turned to the captain. "Take Danomir back to his room, we have learned all we can from him."  
  
"Rion is no murderer," Mir said, even as the blindfold covered his eyes, "and you are a fool if you think otherwise."  
  
***  
  
Ari sat by the fire in the study, Graynal stood beside the door, and her father paced restlessly. She believed Mir, and she believed Rion. It wasn't in him to murder, but her father was right and the evidence did suggest he was.  
  
"Your majesty," Graynal said, "the knife that Garen was stabbed with was his own, not one of the daggers kept in the training room. Garen must have had it with him when he went to the prince's room."  
  
"Then this confirms what Rion said," Ari said hopefully.  
  
"Perhaps," her father replied softly, "but why should Garen want to strike him? The prince must have done something to provoke it. The one person we need to ask is in no position to speak." He sat down and sank his head into his hands. "I cannot see the answers. On the one hand, Eldarion could not have taken the blade. On the other, Garen had no reason to try to kill him."  
  
"Perhaps we're too close to the situation to think about it properly," Ari suggested, "we need someone who can see it objectively and maybe tell us what we've missed."  
  
The king raised his eyes and looked at her. "Traag." Ari nodded.  
  
"He doesn't like being disturbed about politics," her father replied.  
  
"This isn't politics," she said, "this is about the life of a young boy." Then her father smiled.  
  
"Very well, we shall ask Traag for his opinion."  
  
***  
  
Author's note: I hope that you're all wondering who Traag is now. Please review. 


	10. Cleared

Author's note: I would have posted quicker, but I've had a slight revelation about my novel and now have to change the entire plot. Stupid muses.  
  
Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Please keep it up.  
  
Gemma, review again or I'll tell Geff to scrap his latest idea, which would be a waste since it had Orginal Jen, and Emma in hysterics and Charlotte thought it was hilarious.  
  
***  
  
Rion was hanging from the chains again, lacking the will to stand. His mind was an empty void, containing only the image of those blank, staring eyes. He was unaware of the time that had passed, the hunger gnawing at his insides.  
  
He didn't even look up as the door opened. He felt hands at his wrists and the manacle holding his right arm suddenly released. He fell forwards, arms catching him.  
  
"You have to stand, your highness," a gentle voice said. He did so, putting his feet shakily to the ground. They didn't want to support his weight and, as his left arm was freed, he leaned heavily on his helper. So they were taking him to be punished. It was what he deserved after all.  
  
People stood aside as Rion was helped along the corridors by the soldier, but their eyes followed him closely. Curiously. One thing comforted Rion. At least his father would never learn the truth about what he was. He would never learn his son was a murderer.  
  
Tears filled Rion's eyes at the thought of the shame this knowledge would bring his father. It was better they discovered here what he was capable of. He thought of how his mother would grieve had she known this. With him here, however many leagues from home, they would live on in their ignorance, grieving a lost son, but not a lost illusion.  
  
When the soldier eventually stopped and opened a door off the corridor, a waft of hot steam emerged and Rion realised it was not a punishment he was being taken to. A large pool of steaming water was in the centre of the room, and on a table in the corner clean clothes had been laid out.  
  
"I shall wait outside while you bathe," the soldier informed him, and Rion was left alone in the room. He stripped and sank into the hot water gratefully, scrubbing at the dried blood on his hands. In a few minutes there was no trace of the blood left, but he knew that a stain still remained. One that no amount of washing could remove.  
  
Half an hour later he left the room, feeling better than before but still weak and shaken. The soldier escorted him back to his room. It was much as it had been before, but the rug on the floor had been replaced my another. A subtle reminder of his crime.  
  
Rion sank onto the bed and wept.  
  
***  
  
Ari had been shocked by what Traag had revealed, but now she knew she also knew that she had suspected it. She just hadn't dared let herself think it.  
  
"Garen was jealous," Traag had said, "he was angry because he didn't see why a prisoner should have the favour of the princess when a loyal guard could not."  
  
"What do you mean?" Ari had asked, already knowing and dreading the answer.  
  
"You are, after all, an attractive young lady." Her father had been furious. Only the fact that one shouldn't speak ill of the dead stopped him from cursing Garen's name. He had stormed out in a rage, leaving Graynal to order Rion's release.  
  
Ari wanted to go and make sure Rion was all right, but knew she should see her father first. His rage was a blazing fire, dangerous but quickly burned out. As he stood in his room, he looked as though he wanted to fling something at the wall just to hear the smash.  
  
"Is there any need to tell anyone this?" Ari asked quietly, "It will bring dishonour on Garen's family, and they have done nothing to earn that."  
  
"He dared think of my daughter in such a way!" The king snarled in fury.  
  
"Men cannot always restrain their thoughts, Father. Garen was wrong to act the way he did, there's no denying that, but is it right to shame his family because of it?" She could see her father was calming. "Say that his death was an accident, and that after investigation Prince Eldarion has been absolved of any blame." Now he was thinking over what she said.  
  
"There has been enough hurt because of this, do not let anyone else suffer," Ari continued.  
  
There was a short silence, then suddenly he smiled. "You sound just like your sister," he said. Ari smiled at the compliment. Everyone said Lis had a gift with words, and Ari was glad to be compared to her sister.  
  
"You miss Lis, don't you?" Ari asked. Her father nodded. "So do I."  
  
"Go to the prince, Ari, he deserves an explanation." Ari nodded, and left.  
  
When she came to Rion's room, she found him stretched out on the bed, his back to the door, staring into space. He didn't even look round when she approached.  
  
"Rion?" she said quietly. He lay still. "Rion?" she said again. Again there was no response. It was as though he wasn't even aware she was there. All she had thought about was convincing her father that he was innocent. She had thought that once Rion was free he would be fine. She hadn't expected this. It was as though he had withdrawn into himself. The world was suddenly a terrible place.  
  
"Father knows you're innocent, Rion," she said, "you don't have anything to worry about now." But instead of her words giving him comfort, he began to shake in silent sobs. She didn't know how to help him. But maybe there was someone here who would.  
  
***  
  
Mir wished he could know what was going on. He knew Rion wasn't a murderer, but these people could easily blame him just to make things better for them. And there was nothing he could do while he was stuck in here. Rion might be dead already and he wouldn't know.  
  
Fear and anger filled him in equal measure. Fear that they would kill Rion. Fear that the same thing would happen to him. And anger that they could accuse someone as kind and good as Rion. It reached the stage when he felt like beating his fists against the walls in case he could break through the stone.  
  
When the door opened to admit Ari, Mir glared at her fiercely.  
  
"What are you doing here? Come to accuse me of murder?"  
  
"Rion's been cleared," she said, and the relief tore through Mir, breaking down his anger as it did. The change in emotions made him want to break down, but he stayed were he was.  
  
"So what do you want with me?"  
  
"Rion won't talk to me."  
  
"I guess he's learnt something then," Mir said angrily, glad that his friend had seen sense.  
  
"I think something's wrong," Ari said. The fear was back as quickly as it had gone. He couldn't see why Ari would be worried about Rion, but the fact that she might be speaking the truth was enough to terrify him.  
  
"I thought he might talk to you," Ari continued, "Will you go to him?" Mir nodded quickly, and Ari opened the door.  
  
This time there were no ropes, no blindfold. Ari walked quickly along the corridors, and Mir followed, a guard on either side. He didn't try to memorise the journey, his mind was too focussed on Rion. What could be wrong? What had they done to him? His mind was filled with terrifying imaginings by the time they reached Rion's room.  
  
Mir didn't even notice the comfort of the room at first, he just hurried to the bed and sat down on the edge. Rion lay with his back towards him, apparently unaware of his presence. Mir couldn't see any injuries, but Rion's expressionless face was terrifying.  
  
"Rion?" Mir said, "Rion, it's me." He laid a hand on Rion's arm, but nothing happened. "Rion, what's wrong?" Rion shifted slightly so that he pulled out from under Mir's arm, but didn't say anything or turn to face him. This was so unlike him. Rion normally spent most of his time talking or laughing, to be so silent and withdrawn was a frightening change.  
  
"Please tell me what's wrong," Mir asked again. Rion's shoulder's shook and he closed his eyes as though trying to shut out something terrible.  
  
Mir was beginning to think he would get no response, when Rion whispered, "You'll hate me." The reply shocked Mir more than his friend's silence.  
  
"I could never hate you," Mir said honestly, "What's wrong?"  
  
"I killed someone." Mir's mind went blank with shock. In the silence that followed he tried to process this revelation, and Rion seemed to shrink further into himself.  
  
"What happened?" Mir asked. He didn't say a word during Rion's tale. Just waited and listened. The end of the story was hidden in sobs as Rion broke down. Mir placed an arm round him, and held him until the sobs subsided.  
  
"Don't blame yourself, Rion," he said, "You never meant to hurt that man at all. His death was an accident, you said so yourself. If he meant to kill you, you had no choice but to fight back."  
  
"A man is dead because of me, Mir." Mir couldn't think of how to get through to him. Then suddenly he knew.  
  
"How many men are dead because of your father?" Rion turned and looked him in the eye, the puzzlement showing clearly on his face. Finally he was thinking about something other that his own depression. "Your father is a good man," Mir continued, "but he knows that sometimes there is no choice but to fight. He's fought in wars, knowing that some of the people he killed might be just following orders. He did it because he knew he had to. He's killed people, Rion, and he's still a good person. So are you."  
  
Rion paused a moment, then flung his arms round Mir, burying his head in his friend's shoulder, crying. Mir held him until his shoulder was soaked with tears and Rion pulled himself away. His face was damp, but he was smiling slightly.  
  
"Thank you," he whispered.  
  
"You're my friend," Mir replied, "it's what I'm here for." Rion gave something that was almost a laugh. His eyes filled up again, but this time he wiped the tears away.  
  
"I'm sorry for breaking down."  
  
"I probably would have done the same in your position."  
  
"But I wouldn't have been so good at comforting you." In the silence that followed, Mir looked round the room, taking in the comforts and splendour.  
  
"You've got a nice bedroom here," he commented.  
  
"It'll do until we get home." The way he said it, with such certainty, made Mir feel it was possible. Things suddenly seemed better than they had in a long while.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: So things are looking up, but I still haven't explained who Traag is. I guess you'll have to keep reading. 


	11. Maps and Mystery

Author's note: Since everyone was wondering about Traag, I'll be nice and let Rion meet him  
  
***  
  
The torrential rain beating against the window meant that they couldn't go outside. It had been raining seemingly non-stop for three days now. Rion and Mir sat in Rion's room, looking out the window. The orchard below was looking bare and desolate, the trees having had their leaves battered from them by the rain.  
  
Rion was still feeling depressed, and the image of those dead eyes returned all too often to his mind. But Mir was right. His father wouldn't break down over this, so he couldn't. He had to be strong. Like his father would want him to be. His sleep had been disturbed by foul dreams in which he killed again and again, but during the day he talked with Mir and was able to dismiss those thoughts.  
  
The guards let Mir come to Rion's room as well as the other way round now. Rion thought the king might be trying to make up for accusing him of murder, and wondered how much else he might be allowed to get away with. He stared thoughtfully out into the rain and Mir watched him, curious.  
  
"What are you thinking?" Mir asked.  
  
"I've had an idea," Rion replied and walked over the door. He knocked, and Mir came to stand behind him, a puzzled expression on his face.  
  
The guards outside opened the door, but stood their blocking it so they couldn't get out past them. Rion thought they looked as puzzled as Mir.  
  
"Princess Ariessa said she would show me the library," said Rion, as though he had every right to make such a request, "but since she hasn't come I was wondering if you take me there anyway. Then when she is finished with whatever duty detains her she may join me." He kept his tone polite, as though he didn't care the outcome. He was expecting them to just close the door in his face, and so was very surprised when they actually stepped aside to let them through.  
  
Rion glanced at Mir and saw he was just as surprised, though rather more curious. Neither said anything as they walked between the guards along the corridors. Rion's eyes were watching out for anything memorable in case there was a way to escape here, so that they could find it again.  
  
The library when they reached it was impressive. Oak bookshelves covered all the walls, and in racks between them were racks filled with scrolls and papers. There were tables and chairs between the racks. Rion thanked the guards, and they went to stand by the door, close enough to watch the boys but distant enough to give them privacy.  
  
"Why did we come here?" Mir asked quietly.  
  
"I was wondering something," Rion replied, pulling scrolls out of the racks and putting them back after a brief look.  
  
"What are you looking for?"  
  
"This," Rion said, pulling out the right scroll at last. He sat at one of the tables, Mir beside him, and spread the scroll out between them. A map showed three islands very close together, and across a long expanse of ocean to the east of them was a coastline familiar from the maps in Minas Tirith. The western coast of Eriador.  
  
"So we're north west of Gondor," Mir said.  
  
"A long way judging by the amount of sea here. It would be a very dangerous crossing." A very long trip to make just for the sake of capturing two children. Especially since the king apparently had no use for them now they were here. Rion stared at the map, wondering.  
  
"What are you thinking about now?" Mir asked.  
  
"I'm wondering why we were brought here."  
  
"You needed to come to the library to wonder that?"  
  
"It was a long journey to make, and a dangerous one, just to get us. And they haven't done anything with us since we were brought here. The king said he wanted information but we both refused to tell us anything and he hasn't done anything to make us. It just seems pointless."  
  
"You think he has some other motive?" Rion nodded.  
  
"I just can't think what it might be," he said. He sighed and looked at the second piece of parchment in the scroll. This was another map, but one showing only the three islands. A legend across the top read 'Tharden' so Rion guessed the three islands together comprised the kingdom. The largest island was the most eastern, and the palace was on the eastern coast, a large town behind it. A mountain rose up in the centre of the island.  
  
The other two islands were close to the north west and north east. The map showed a lot of harbours along the coasts were the islands were closest together. There was probably a lot of travel between the three.  
  
"I don't see how this helps us," Mir said, "What we need is a plan of the palace, and I doubt we'll find that here."  
  
"We need every bit of information we can get," Rion said, "since we have no way of knowing what will happen in the future." He wasn't entirely sure how knowing the islands would help, but if they were able to escape the palace they might need it to find the way to a harbour. The harbour closest to the palace was undoubtedly the one they had been brought to when they arrived.  
  
There were other maps in the bundle showing the islands in more detail, or showing one or other of the towns. But none showed the interior of the palace. After a time both boys were sick of staring at maps and Rion put the scroll away. Instead he wandered the bookshelves, reading titles. Though there were some in a language he didn't recognise, most of the books were in Elvish.  
  
He pulled out a volume of songs and looked curiously at the first few pages. It was the Lay of Luthien, the son his father liked to sing to him when he was little. Mir saw his expression and came over to have a look.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, and Rion showed him.  
  
"Ari mentioned something about elves coming here," Rion said, "but this suggests it's more than just an occasional visit. Why would the elves deal with a king so dishonourable?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
The door opened and both looked across. Ari entered and walked towards them. Rion felt Mir tense beside him, and knew that recent events had only served to increase Mir's animosity towards her.  
  
"What do you want?" Mir demanded.  
  
"The guards said that you would be waiting for me here," she said smiling. She held out the circlet to Rion. "You forgot this."  
  
"I didn't forget it," he replied, taking it from her but not putting it on.  
  
"You ought to wear it," Ari said.  
  
"Why? Why does everyone think it's so important?"  
  
"Because you don't want to anger Traag."  
  
"And who's Traag? You've mentioned him several times, but you've never said who he is."  
  
"You really want to know?" she asked, smiling mysteriously.  
  
"Yes." Ari smiled and went to the door to speak to the guards. "They wish to return to their rooms now." She turned back to Rion, "You can take the book with you if you like." They had no choice but to return separately to their rooms.  
  
Later, as Rion sat by the fire reading, the rain lessened to a steady drizzle. It seemed the storm was passing. He might be able to go outside tomorrow.  
  
***  
  
The next day Rion was given a larger breakfast than usual, and the servant laid out a cloak along with clean clothes. He had only just finished getting ready when Ari arrived, also wearing a thick cloak.  
  
"What's going on?" Rion asked.  
  
"You said you wanted to see Traag," she replied, looking over at the circlet which rested as always on the dressing table. Rion put it on without a fuss, since he was beginning to get answers and wanted to make sure it stayed that way.  
  
Ari led the way out of the palace. Rion tried to remember the route, the corridors they had followed, the stairs they had gone down, the doors they had passed through, but before long the memory was muddled up and he knew he'd get hopelessly lost if he tried to come this way again.  
  
The guards followed closely behind as they went outside. The rain was falling only in the occasional heavy drop now, but a chill wind was blowing and Rion was glad of the cloak. They walked up a steep slope and as Rion looked back he could see the towers of the palace looming over a sprawling town, and beyond that the sea. How much further beyond that, he wondered, lay his home?  
  
They walked up a steep path towards the central mountain. It was difficult going, as the path was slippery with mud and there was very little to hold onto for balance. The hem of the cloak was covered in mud and his boots caked in the stuff before they had gone very far.  
  
Soon he was tired, but Ari kept going and he wasn't going to admit being weaker. He supposed she might be feeling the same way, but if anyone gave in and suggested a rest it wouldn't be him.  
  
After far too long, they came to a doorway in the side of the mountain. Ari opened this and walked into a small entrance chamber carved out of the rock. She lit a lamp that stood on a table and then took off her cloak. It was warmer in here than inside, but still cold. Rion probably would have left his cloak on, but Ari seemed to know what she was doing.  
  
He hung the cloak on a hook set in the wall. Another door led into a dark corridor, and this was where Ari led him next. The guards waited in the entrance chamber, and to Rion's surprise Ari left the lamp.  
  
The corridor was dark, but as they walked along it a red light like fire grew up ahead. It was also getting hotter, and Rion silently admitted that Ari had been right to leave her cloak. Rion wondered where they were going, and what lay at the end of the corridor. It must be a huge bonfire of some sorts, to account for the heat and light.  
  
At last they came to the end of the corridor, and Rion looked out over a huge cavern. The red light glittering off a mass of gold and jewels, came from the scaled form of a sleeping dragon.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: Anyone who guessed Traag was a dragon gets ten points. They don't mean anything and you can't do anything with them, but you can have them.  
  
Please keep reviewing. 


	12. Traag

Author's note: Life's annoying. I got a Two Towers DVD yesterday and watched most of it in the evening. I decided to watch the rest this morning. I was FIVE MINUTES from the end when I had to go to school. The subtitles on the DVD are hilarious since they kept getting them wrong. My favourite is I think Gomes telling Sneedle he's made of love. Saruman kept being called Solomon, and since they're the people that write our maths practice papers I think it explains a lot.  
  
***  
  
Rion froze in the doorway, trembling uncontrollably. Everything his father had told him about dragons came back to him in those few moments. They were vicious beasts, very clever and very difficult to kill. They could kill in an instant even from great distances.  
  
And now he was standing right in front of one!  
  
Rion's instinct was to flee, to run before it woke up, but he found his legs wouldn't obey his commands. And beside him Ari stood calm and confident, as though she was unaware of the danger she was in.  
  
Then the dragon lifted its head. He turned and fixed his eyes on the two standing in the doorway. Rion knew that even if he ran now it would be too late. One blast of fire from that mouth and he would be dead in an instant.  
  
"Welcome, Prince Eldarion," the dragon said, shocking Rion almost out of his fear for a moment. Then the dragon bowed his head, slightly, almost respectfully. Of all the things that had happened to Rion since the hunting trip this was probably the most incredible. "Come forwards," the dragon continued.  
  
It wanted to eat him! Rion stayed where he was, paralysed with fear, unable to move forwards and unable to run. Ari leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Are you frightened?" in the same tone Rion had used in the garden. Rion wanted to answer that he was, but stubborn pride wouldn't let himself be seen as weaker than a girl.  
  
He took a few cautious steps forwards, aware only of the dragon's gaze burning into him. He should have listened to Mir. He should have believed that Ari wasn't to be trusted, and now she had led him to his death.  
  
"I see I was right in my choice of gift," the dragon said. Rion wondered for a moment was it meant, but Ari had said something about the circlet being a gift from Traag. He'd never heard of a dragon giving away any of its treasure before.  
  
"The circlet?" Rion stammered.  
  
The dragon nodded. "King Ramel said that you would need a token of your royalty. I chose green stones because green seems to suit most elves."  
  
"You speak to the king?" Rion managed to ask, wondering why the dragon wasn't killing him yet.  
  
"Occasionally," the dragon replied, "but he does not often have the time to visit me, so it is his children I see most often. Ariessa and Lisben." Rion wondered who Lisben was, but didn't dare ask.  
  
"Do all part elves shake so much?" the dragon asked Ari, with what was probably the closest a dragon could get to a smile.  
  
"Only when they're scared," Ari replied, walking fearlessly into the room.  
  
"Don't worry, your highness," the dragon said to Rion, "you're too skinny to eat." Ari smiled at that, but Rion was too terrified. The dragon's reassurance was anything but comforting.  
  
"Why do you fear me, your highness?" the dragon asked, "I have not attempted to harm you."  
  
"You're a dragon," Rion replied, his voice trembling as much as his body, "a creation of Morgoth."  
  
The dragon shook its great head. "Morgoth had not the power to create life, only Iluvator has that power. Morgoth could only corrupt what already existed." Rion was sickened to hear the name of the creator spoken by such a beast as this, and he frowned at the dragon's reply, wondering how the Balrogs had come into being. Surely none of the creations of Eru were anything remotely like those demons. Besides, what the dragon had said didn't mean what Rion had said wasn't true.  
  
"Morgoth corrupted things that were once good and pure," the dragon continued, "as orcs were once elves so dragons came into being, but surely, there would still remain some potential for good."  
  
Rion would have laughed at the absurdity of that statement but for something his father was fond of saying: never laugh at live dragons. Apparently a friend of his had coined that saying.  
  
"By the same argument," Rion said, "there would be good orcs."  
  
"Perhaps there are. But any orc that showed signs of kindness or compassion would be thought of as weak and killed, so the world will never see the evidence of them." Rion's first thought was that it was absurd. His second thought was that while it was incredibly unlikely, there might be chance be an orc who was good.  
  
"So you're trying to tell me that you're good?" Rion asked.  
  
"I am telling you that. Whether you believe it or not is your decision."  
  
"A dragon cannot be good."  
  
"Would you judge a human boy by his parents. If you knew his parents to be murderers, would you assume the boy to be one also."  
  
"No, of course not."  
  
"Then you are judging me by different standards to the way you would judge your own race."  
  
Of course he was. There were no similarities between dragons and humans, so why should he judge them the same? Rion turned to Ari to see what she would say. She was shaking, but unlike Rion, her shaking was from silent laughter.  
  
"Surely a good man would not let his judgement be swayed by prejudice," the dragon went on.  
  
"It's not prejudice to know that all dragons are evil."  
  
"No, it's ignorance. Just because you have never encountered a dragon who could be swayed with reason, do not assume that one does not exist."  
  
"If there was such a thing as a good dragon, people would know about it," Rion protested.  
  
"The people here know," the dragon countered, "and because they do not travel widely, their tale cannot spread." Rion opened his mouth to respond, but found he really had no idea what he could say to that.  
  
As the argument continued, Rion got the feeling he was losing. It didn't help that he'd never considered the possibility there might be a dragon here, and was still shaken by the thought, unable to form cohesive arguments.  
  
As the time past, Rion's shaking grew less. If the dragon were going to kill him, it would have done so by now. Or was it playing with him? Putting him off his guard to increase the pleasure of the kill? Rion was still doubtful he would get out of that cavern alive.  
  
"We should probably go," Ari said at last, as there was a lull in the argument, "Thank you for sparing us some of your time, Traag."  
  
"It is always a pleasure, your highness," Traag replied, bowing his great head. "It was also a pleasure to meet you, Prince Eldarion."  
  
"And you," lied Rion, trying to be polite.  
  
Ari led Rion back along the tunnel, and Rion found he had to lean heavily on the wall as they went, for his trembling legs didn't want to support him. It seemed to take forever to reach the entrance, and Rion expected at any moment for fire to roast them from behind. But they did reach the entrance, and the daylight coming through the open door brought some comfort to him.  
  
It was raining heavily, but Rion wanted to get as far away from the dragon as possible, so they set off anyway. Ari walked beside him, in silence for a time. After a while though she spoke.  
  
"Traag has dwelt peacefully with our people for as long as our history tells. He has never harmed any person."  
  
"You think a dragon can shed his nature as a snake sheds his skin?"  
  
"No one has known Traag to do harm. He has the trust of all country."  
  
"Then you are fools." Rion attempted to hurry his pace down the path, but his foot skidded in a patch of mud. His arms flung out instinctively, and he grabbed hold of Ari. A moment later they were both rolling and tumbling down the steep slope. They ended in a muddy heap, with Rion lying across Ari. He looked down at her. She was breathing slightly harder that usual. The smears of dirt served only to accentuate her fair skin and the cold wind had turned her cheeks to a beautiful rose. As Rion looked down at her, desire held him for a moment.  
  
"Your highness?" The spell was broken as the soldiers reached them. They each scrambled up, neither meeting the other's eye. Rion wasn't sure which was the more disturbing, the fact that a dragon lived here, or that he had been about to kiss the daughter of his captor.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: Chapter twelve of a romance story and there is finally some hint of romance. Anyone else think I'm a bit slow? 


	13. Fights

Author's note: I'm going away on holiday, so I won't update for a while, but we're taking a laptop so I'll be able to write while I'm away.  
  
***  
  
Afterwards Rion told himself that it was just the relief at his escape playing tricks with his mind. He didn't feel that way about Ari at all. Still he stayed away from her as much as possible over the next few days. He spent his time in Mir's room, talking.  
  
They discussed Traag for hours, and ended no closer to an answer than when they had started. It was clear to both boys that Traag was deceiving the people here, making them think he was acting against his evil nature, but for what purpose neither of them could guess.  
  
Rion didn't mention Ari, and the kiss that had nearly happened. He dismissed it as nothing and knew Mir would get the wrong idea and make a fuss about it. Ari might be foolish to trust a dragon as she did, but she wasn't the fiend Mir thought her. If he spoke to her he would understand.  
  
Rain fell constantly outside, sometimes in drizzle, sometimes in torrents accompanied by thunder. Days passed, and Rion was getting sick of seeing the same two rooms and the route between them. He was filled with restless energy, but had no way to be rid of it.  
  
So, when Ari came to his room one morning and said that her father would let her take him to the training room again if he wanted, Rion agreed gladly. In a few minutes they stood on the mats, each with a sword in hand, facing each other and waiting.  
  
Rion moved first, striking quickly to Ari's side, but she parried easily, and spun gracefully away. She continued the spin, and ended up coming back to Rion's left side. Rion had to dodge the blow, and they stood for a moment, watching each other carefully for the next move.  
  
It was a difficult fight, for they were evenly matched in reach and both graceful and swift. The fact that Ari was slightly quicker was cancelled out by Rion's advantage in strength.  
  
It wasn't long before they were both breathing hard and sweating, but still they danced their deadly dance across the mats, the swords meeting with a clash of metal. Rion was tiring, but could see Ari was as well. She wasn't blocking quite as quickly as she had been before. Unfortunately, neither was Rion. But perhaps he could use that to his advantage.  
  
He wasn't quite quick enough to parry one of Ari's strikes, and her blade sliced a shallow cut in his skin. Rion let himself give a sharp gasp of pain, and she hesitated, seeing he was hurt. That was all it took.  
  
Rion stepped forwards, hooking his leg round hers in the same move she had used against him in their first fight. She slammed into the ground hard, and a Rion put the tip of his sword at her throat.  
  
"You tricked me!" she said angrily. "You sneaky, manipulative. . . person!" Rion just laughed at her indignation.  
  
Ari glared at him, then brought her arm round to knock the sword aside. She charged at Rion's legs, knocking him to the ground. He fell heavily, and a moment later Ari was on top of him, sword forgotten, tickling him mercilessly. They rolled on the mats, both laughing.  
  
"Do you yield?" Ari asked.  
  
"I surrender, I surrender," Rion called. Ari rolled aside, and they both lay on the mats, laughing and breathing heavily.  
  
"You fight well for a girl," Rion said, meaning it as a compliment.  
  
"Are you saying that girls aren't good at fighting?" Ari asked, bristling.  
  
"Well, normally yes."  
  
"Of all the arrogant, condescending things to say!"  
  
"Who's arrogant?"  
  
"You are. 'Oh boys are so much better than girls.'"  
  
"I didn't say that."  
  
"You thought it though."  
  
"I just meant that girls are generally weaker at fighting."  
  
Ari stood up quickly, and glared down at him. "Meaning that girls are inferior and need protecting." She began to storm away, and Rion hurried to stand.  
  
"Wait Ari, I didn't mean to offend you."  
  
She spun to face him, her eyes filled with anger, "But you did, your high- and-mighty highness. Maybe if you learned to think before opening your mouth you'd find it easier to be kind. Or maybe you should just learn to think."  
  
She stormed off, leaving Rion seething with anger that she could insult his intelligence. He didn't understand how she could take such offence at a compliment. He'd only meant that she good at fighting. He didn't understand girls.  
  
***  
  
Ari charged through the corridors of the palace, her father's short temper raging inside her. She couldn't believe that Rion, who had seemed so nice, could think of girls like that. She'd thought he was different from the other boys, but he was just like them, thinking himself superior when he thought at all.  
  
"Ari," her father's voice called as she passed his study. Ari forced herself to appear calm, and went in. Her father was seated at his desk, and Graynal sat opposite him.  
  
"How is the prince?" her father asked.  
  
"Why should I care?" Ari snapped, "I never want to speak to him again!" As she left, she heard her father say something about punishing Rion if he had harmed her. But then Graynal spoke.  
  
"Your majesty, may I advise against it. At this age children do quarrel, especially when they have feelings for each other."  
  
Feelings! FEELINGS! She had no feelings for Rion but contempt! His inexcusable rudeness! His selfish prejudice against Traag! Why should she have feelings for him?  
  
But she remembered returning from visiting Traag. When they had lain on the hillside, Rion's face close to her own. She had thought Rion would kiss her, and she wouldn't have objected. 


	14. Forgiveness

Mir had tried to be sympathetic when Rion told him about the argument with Ari, but secretly he felt glad. Rion had made a mistake in trusting her, and it gave Mir some satisfaction that he'd been proved right. He felt bad that Rion had been hurt, but he still felt slightly smug.  
  
He was also glad that it meant Rion would be spending more time with him. Mir had been lonely during the times when Rion had been wandering the palace with her. There was nothing to do here, and he had begun to feel abandoned. That had improved over the last few days, when Rion had come back from seeing Traag, but even then Mir felt his friend wasn't quite with him. He was distracted, his mind wandering onto other matters.  
  
Mir supposed Rion was just worried about the dragon, but he couldn't help thinking that there was something else. Something Rion wasn't telling him. And now Rion came to him, ranting about Ari's stupidity, and caring a lot more than Mir thought was necessary.  
  
"I didn't insult her," Rion was saying, for probably the thousandth time that afternoon, "she just took it as an insult. If she can't understand a compliment, I'm not to blame, am I?" He was pacing the floor of Mir's small bedroom, while Mir sat on the bed, bored beyond belief.  
  
"Of course not," Mir said, wishing that Rion would switch to another topic, but not wanting to say so.  
  
"I mean, I can't help it if she misinterprets things. I don't need to go and apologise to her."  
  
"No, you don't," Mir said. That statement was more than just comforting his friend. If Rion didn't apologise to Ari, he might remember he had another friend close at hand, one who wasn't just getting close to him so as to spy on him.  
  
"But maybe I should," Rion went on, "I should show her that I'm not so high- and-mighty. I'm not the one in the wrong, but I can still go to her and make up."  
  
"Rion, if you do that, she'll only take advantage of it. You need to give her some time to realise that she made a mistake and then she'll come to you. Just wait a little and she'll apologise." In Mir's experience, girls could be very stubborn, and were even less likely to back down that boys. But if Ari didn't apologise to Rion, what would it matter?  
  
"Thank you for being so understanding," Rion said, sitting down next to Mir. Mir smiled at him, truly glad that his friend was by his side again. Then for a moment Mir felt bad. He might not like Ari, but was it right for him to be happy that Rion's friendship with her was over? Was he just being selfish?  
  
The thought vanished in an instant. Of course he wasn't. Ari was just a spy, and the sooner Rion realised that, the better it was for everyone. He'd probably thank Mir for this when they got back home.  
  
***  
  
Ari sat on the window seat in her room, staring out into the rain. Droplets ran like tears down the glass. She told herself she wouldn't cry. Rion wasn't worth crying over. He was just a selfish boy, wrapped up in his own self-importance. He hadn't even come to apologise for what he'd said to her.  
  
She sighed, and wished Lis were there. Lis had always understood boys better than Ari, although that had been what got her in trouble. Ari remembered the way her father had been: 'I will not have my eldest daughter flirting with common stable boys!'  
  
It was probably a good thing that he didn't know how much further than flirting it had gone. Lis had come to Ari's room late one night, almost trembling with excitement to tell her about it. Personally, Ari could think of a lot more romantic settings than a hayloft, but it had been Lis's decision. A stupid one it had turned out, since the boy in question couldn't help boasting about his 'conquest of the princess'.  
  
Ari wondered if Lis had felt the way she did now, betrayed and hurt. Lis had had more reason to feel betrayed than Ari, but she still felt that Rion had turned against her. He had been so kind and friendly, and now he insulted her. He felt himself so much better than her just because he was a boy. He said he didn't, but if that was true, why hadn't he come to apologise? Was it because he thought it wasn't his place to apologise to a lower entity?  
  
Well she wasn't going to talk to him until he did! He was completely in the wrong and it wasn't for her to try and mend their relationship.  
  
She stared at the raindrops flowing down the window, chasing each other like playful children. She'd miss that: laughing with Rion, able to forget for a time the dignity her rank demanded of her. She remembered the soft smile that raised the corners of his mouth slightly as he talked of his home, the way his eyes danced when he laughed, the calm peacefulness he was filled with when he was among nature. Would she see those things again?  
  
These miserable thoughts almost broke her resolve. She wanted to run to Rion and tell him she wanted to be friends again. It didn't matter that he'd insulted her, it didn't matter if he didn't apologise. All that mattered was that they should be together.  
  
No, she would wait. If he wanted to be friends he would come to her. But what if he didn't want to be friends? Tears fell from Ari's eyes, even as she told herself she wouldn't cry.  
  
***  
  
Several days had passed since his argument with Ari, and Rion didn't want to count them. It just made him to miserable. It was clear now that Ari had no intention of apologising. Maybe she just didn't want to be friends anymore.  
  
He spent his time with Mir, either sitting in one of their rooms, or going outside whenever the whether allowed it. Winter had arrived during the rainstorms, and now all the plants were bare, the earth barren. It seemed to suit Rion's mood. Everything was cold and miserable.  
  
Mir kept trying to cheer him up, but Rion didn't feel very receptive to cheering. He returned to the library, and read ancient tales his father told him, and dreamed of home. In his melancholy mood, home seemed so much further away than before.  
  
Then, suddenly, snow covered the palace. A heavy fall had passed overnight, and Mir and Rion went out into gardens filled with glittering white, as a weak sun shone down overhead.  
  
Rion wrapped his cloak about him as his feet marred the perfect brilliance of snow. It seemed sad, that something so beautiful would be ruined soon, crossed by lines of trampling footsteps. Nothing precious ever seemed to last.  
  
Something hit him in his back. The cold force shocked him for a moment, then he spun round to face Mir, already grabbing a hasty snowball. Revenge was delicious as Mir spluttered icy crystals from his mouth. A few minutes later they were laughing like children, freezing cold and soaking.  
  
Rion's fingers somehow felt as though they were burning they were so cold, but he couldn't stop to warm them without Mir pelting him with snow. Melting snow was seeping through his cloak and he'd stopped being able to feel his toes long ago. Yet still he was laughing, as Mir slipped in a patch of ice and Rion was on top of him, shoving snow down the back of his shirt.  
  
Mir shrieked and screamed, shoving Rion off roughly so he ended up face first in the snow. He got up, blinking away the snowflakes that clung to his eyelashes, only to have them replaced as Mir threw a snowball right into his face.  
  
At last they could manage no more, and they went into the palace, escorted by rather grateful soldiers. The headed to Rion's room, since it had the larger fireplace, still laughing. Then Rion caught a glimpse of Ari, standing in a doorway watching. She looked so miserable that he almost ran to her. If he'd seen her a few hours earlier he would have done. But he no longer felt so miserable himself, and so didn't feel the pressing need for reconciliation. Pride held him back and he turned away. He wouldn't go to her until she apologised to him.  
  
As he sat next to Mir by the fire, their soaking clothes hanging in front of it to dry, he wondered if perhaps he'd made a mistake. He did want to be friends with Ari again.  
  
It was the next day when there was a timid knock on the door. Rion opened it, to find Ari standing there. She looked nervous, and was reluctant to meet Rion's eye.  
  
"May we talk?" she asked. Rion stepped aside and let her in. She paced across the floor nervously while she spoke, and Rion stood by the door watching her.  
  
"I've been doing some thinking recently," she said, "about our friendship. I miss it. If it's possible, I'd like to forget the argument happened and go back to the way they were before. It doesn't matter if you don't apologise, or if. . ."  
  
"Why should I apologise?" Rion demanded.  
  
"What? Your perfect father didn't teach you to apologise when you insult. . ." She broke off her angry stream of words and took a deep breath. "I didn't come here just to restart the argument," she said, "I want to be friends again. Do you?"  
  
For a moment Rion hesitated. But only for a moment. He stepped forwards, holding out his hand to her. She took it, soft, slender fingers wrapping round his own.  
  
"Friends," Rion said, smiling. She smiled suddenly, her face lighting up, and Rion's heart soared that he was the one to make her smile. The desire struck him again, and he once more found himself wanting to kiss her.  
  
The door opened then, without warning, and Mir stepped in. He just looked at them, and Rion snatched his hand back like a guilty child.  
  
Mir turned to leave without a word, and Rion stood there wondering if he'd just traded one friend for another.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: Ooo, jealous Mir. Let me know what you think, and Happy Easter. OK, I know that technically Easter was a couple of days ago, but you shouldn't have eaten all the Easter eggs just yet. 


	15. Bleak Midwinter

A heavy snowstorm the night before meant that it would be difficult to go outside. Servants were digging the paths clear, but they wouldn't finish for some time. So Rion and Ari were in the training room. They had spent a lot of time here over the past few days, since Mir seemed to be avoiding Rion.  
  
Rion had managed to use a trick of his father to disarm Ari in an earlier fight, and now he was teaching it to her. He wondered about not telling her and just using it as an advantage in their fights, but decided it wouldn't be fair.  
  
Once he'd finished showing her the move, he stepped backwards and smiled. "Try it now." She began with a few cautious strokes which he parried, then she brought her sword round and with a flick of her wrist sent Rion's sword out of his sword and skimming across the floor.  
  
It landed at the feet of a young woman dressed in soldier's uniform. She clapped a couple of times, smiling.  
  
"I see you're learning some new moves, Ari," she said, "think you can beat me yet?"  
  
"Lis!" Ari exclaimed, and Rion saw the expression of surprise and delight on her face. She dropped her sword on the mats and ran to the woman, embracing her. "When did you get back?"  
  
"Just now," Lis replied, "I was a little worried we wouldn't get through when the storm struck last night, but I'm here now."  
  
"How long for?"  
  
"Only until midwinter. After then I have to go back." Rion stood nervously while the two greeted each other, feeling rather lost as to what was going on. Finally Ari glanced towards him and led Lis over.  
  
"Rion, may I present my sister, Princess Lisben of Tharden. Lis, may I present Prince Eldarion of Gondor." Rion bowed formally, as Lis curtsied.  
  
"Father said that we had a noble guest in the palace, but he never said how noble," Lis said. Rion wondered momentarily at the definition of guest.  
  
"Thank you, your highness," Rion said. He studied Lis closely. She looked similar to Ari, but was taller and her arms were better muscled. There was a recent cut on her chin and Rion noticed some bruises. All of which would heal quickly.  
  
"Rion, do you mind," Ari said, "but I'd like to talk to Lis for a bit."  
  
"Of course," Rion replied and went to where the guards were waiting by the door. He was about to go back to his room, feeling a slight twinge of jealousy that Ari wanted to be with Lis. Was this how Mir felt? That sudden thought made him change his mind, and instead he headed to Mir's room.  
  
Mir was staring out the window when Rion went in. He shot Rion a glare filled with more anger than he had ever seen in his friend before.  
  
"Had enough of spending time with your spy friend?" Mir snarled.  
  
"Spy? What do you mean?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Mir spat, "That girl is just trying to get information out of you, and you're stupid enough to fall for it."  
  
Rion felt anger raging up inside him, and didn't bother to contain it. "I'm not stupid!" He'd come here to see Mir, and he was angry with him for no reason, why shouldn't Rion be angry back?  
  
"Then why are you spending time with her? You think it's alright to give her information in exchange for a nicer room? It's not treachery if the prince does it?"  
  
The anger that filled Rion was so strong for a moment all he could do was stand there, astounded. The accusation struck him like a blow to the heart. "I would never betray my father," Rion said, venom filling his words.  
  
Mir turned away from him, staring out the window and leaning heavily on the windowsill. "I'm sorry, Rion," he said so quietly he barely heard. The anger drained out of Rion as he saw his friend's shoulders begin to shake with silent sobs. He hurried and placed a hand on Mir's arm.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.  
  
"Everything," Mir replied, "we're stuck in this place and you're spending all your time with her. Trying to make friends with the people here. It's like you've given up."  
  
"I haven't given up," Rion told him, "I will never give up. I just don't see why we should make our time here any more miserable than it is. Besides, Ari might let something slip she doesn't realise."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Well, I know two ways out of the palace now. There are the doors in the hall, and the back door she took me through when we went to see the dragon. And she's been practising fighting with me, so when it comes to escape I won't be out of touch."  
  
"I thought she was using you," Mir said with a slight smile, "but it seems it was the other way round." Inwardly Rion flinched at that statement, but he didn't let his friend see how much it hurt him. He wasn't using Ari. He liked her and liked being around her. He wasn't using her. Was he?  
  
***  
  
"He's a handsome boy," Lis commented as she watched Rion leave.  
  
"I guess he is," Ari replied, "I hadn't given it much thought." From the expression on her sister's face, she knew Lis didn't believe that.  
  
"So," Lis said innocently, "have you been to the hayloft yet?"  
  
"Lis!" Ari exclaimed, shocked at the suggestion.  
  
Lis began laughing, "Oh I forgot, you don't think that's romantic enough."  
  
"Rion is a good friend," Ari said, though she could feel herself blushing as she said it. Lis raised her eyebrows with an expression that said all to clearly what she thought of their friendship.  
  
"So you're telling me you haven't even kissed yet?" Lis asked in that innocent tone that had occasionally fooled their father, but never Ari.  
  
"No we haven't," Ari replied sharply, but her thoughts strayed to that time on the side of the hill, when she thought Rion would bring his lips to hers.  
  
"You want to though, don't you?" Ari blushed slightly, and didn't say anything. That blush was all the answer Lis needed.  
  
Much later they sat in Ari's room, talking. Ari told her everything that had happened since Rion had arrived, carefully avoiding taking the bait of her sister's teasing. In return Lis told her all that had happened to her. While one might think Lis would have a more exciting time than Ari, most of her tales were of gruelling toil and boredom.  
  
"And worst of all," she said, "there are these stupid rules about not getting involved physically with members of the regiment."  
  
"I think that was the whole purpose of you being sent," said Ari smiling, "You've always been a little too interested in getting inside men's trousers."  
  
"Not always," Lis responded, "only when the occupants of those trousers are good looking." Both girls laughed. "Besides," Lis went on, "you're hardly the one to talk. You should hear yourself go on about Rion. 'Oh he's so charming', 'he knows how to make me smile'."  
  
Ari was sorely tempted to hit her sister, but didn't rise to the challenge. Instead she used the tone their father always used when lecturing, and said, "I have always acted in a way that befits one of my position. I have behaved with utmost dignity in accordance with my rank."  
  
Lis almost exploded with mirth, "You sound just like Father! If you start talking about duty and royal obligations I'll never be able to look him in the eye again."  
  
"That never seemed to be a problem before. You used to be able to look him in the eye when telling such incredible falsehoods as 'I'm a good daughter who would never do anything you wouldn't approve of.'"  
  
"And still he never seemed to believe that one."  
  
"I wonder why that might be."  
  
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door and a servant entered. "Princess Lisben, the king sends for you," he said.  
  
"I'd better go face the wild beast," Lis said with a grin at Ari, and followed the servant out. Ari sat thinking for a while. She thought about what Lis had said regarding Rion. He was handsome, and she did enjoy being around him, but did she think of him as something other than a friend?  
  
***  
  
Rion was finishing his breakfast when there was a knock on the door. He was surprised and puzzled, since neither Ari nor Mir bothered knocking.  
  
"Come in," he called. It was Lis who entered, now dressed in an elegant gown and truly looking like a princess.  
  
"I talk with me sister about you yesterday," Lis said, sitting opposite Rion, "She likes you."  
  
"I like her," Rion said, not entirely sure where this conversation was leading to.  
  
"I'm glad. She's a nice girl, but she hasn't had much experience with boys."  
  
"Experience?"  
  
"I just wanted to let you know that if you do anything to hurt her I'll rip out your heart and make you eat it," Lis said. Rion wondered if she was joking, but the fierce expression on her face said otherwise.  
  
"I've no intention of hurting her," Rion said.  
  
"Good," Lis smiled, "though I doubt she'd spend so much time with you if you were the sort of person who enjoyed hurting others."  
  
Lis stood, "Now I've got to go and join my father for breakfast." She made a face of terror at that. Rion watched her go, thinking of all the times he'd tried to avoid formal dining with his parents. He found himself wondering something he had been wondering for a while. Was this family so much different from his own? Ari and Lis seemed to act with King Ramel the way he acted towards his father. Was King Ramal so much different from King Elessar?  
  
The answer came at once: of course he was. His father would never sanction the kidnapping of two innocent boys. But, despite the speed at which the answer came to him, there was less forcefulness behind him than there had been on previous occasions when he thought it. 


	16. Dinner and Dancing

Rion and Mir sat at a table in the study, a parchment spread before them. Rion had a quill and ink and the two were trying to draw a map of the palace. Unfortunately, the more they drew the more they realised they didn't know about. They were forced to leave far too many blanks and closed doors for their liking. Still, they were doing something.  
  
Time passed, immeasurably since the sun was once more hidden as heavy snow billowed outside the windows. The boys talked in low voices, leaning across the table. Rion hadn't seen Ari for a couple of days. He assumed she was spending time with her sister, and had decided to spend the time with Mir. It was clear that Mir was becoming jealous of the time Rion spent with Ari, and he didn't want that.  
  
Both boys looked up guiltily as the soldiers crossed to them from where they stood by the door. They glanced at each other, slightly afraid, and Rion tried to hide the map they were making.  
  
"Your highness," one of the soldiers said, "you must come with me now."  
  
"And you must come with me," the other addressed Mir. They stood up and walked to the door. For a while they walked together, but then one led Rion one way, and Mir the other.  
  
Rion walked calmly along between two soldiers, though inwardly his mind was racing over the possible things the king might do to him for trying to plot an escape. To his surprise, the place he was taken was the bathroom. A servant was in there, tipping hot water into the pool. Rion saw clean clothes on the table.  
  
The servant curtsied and left. Rion sank into the steaming water and lay there, feeling the dirt and troubles drift away. He closed his eyes and for a moment he could forget that he was so far from home.  
  
He emerged refreshed, and lifted the clothes that had been set out for him. Trousers and tunic of white silk, with snowflakes embroidered on the tunic in silver threads. Instead of a leather belt, there was one made of the same silk as the rest of the outfit, but studded with silver beads that flickered like stars. All were excellently tailored. Even as a prince, he rarely wore clothes so fine.  
  
Once he had finished dressing and pulled on shoes of soft leather as well made as the rest, he went into the corridors. The soldiers stood waiting to return him to his room. The servant who had been in the bathroom was waiting for him there. She gave another curtsey and picked up the hairbrush from the dressing table.  
  
"I can brush my own hair," Rion said.  
  
"Please, your highness," she stammered nervously, "the king sent me to prepare you for the feast." Rion hesitated a while. It would do no harm to let this girl do it, and she was clearly afraid she might be punished if she did not. For once, Rion swallowed stubborn pride and sat at the dressing table, letting the servant do his hair.  
  
She removed the circlet and gently brushed out his hair. Then she lifted a piece from either side of his forehead and placed the circlet on again so these pieces hung over the metal band. She took silver ribbons, and plaited these into the sections of hair, the silver shining out clearly amongst his dark hair. She finally pulled the two plaits together and twisted them into a complicated knot at the back of his head. When she finished, Rion had to admit that it was an elegant style.  
  
"Thank you," he said.  
  
"You're welcome, your highness," she said with another curtsey, before departing. Rion sat for a short while, wondering what was happening. The servant had mentioned something about a feast.  
  
At last the door opened and Ari came in. Instead of the shirt and trousers he'd become accustomed to seeing her where, she was dressed in an elegant gown of ice blue. Her hair was tied back in a bun, except for a few strands that hung down and framed her face, accentuating her beauty. She dropped into a formal curtsey to Rion, looking every bit the princess she was.  
  
"I have come to escort you to the feast, your highness," she said with absolute formality. Then she grinned, "Hurry up or father will lecture me on arriving late."  
  
Rion grinned and moved to her side as they left the room. The soldiers followed a short distance behind.  
  
"What's going on?" Rion asked, "Why all this fuss?"  
  
"It's the midwinter feast," Ari replied. Midwinter? Had he really been here so long? Clearly he had.  
  
They reached the great hall, and Rion looked at the tables laid out for the feast. Huge amounts of food lay on the white table cloths, and all round the hall people were milling about, talking. The mix of pale blues, whites and silvers gave the impression of a room filled with ice.  
  
A young woman detached herself from the crowd and came over to them. It was Lis, barely recognisable now as the soldier who had come into the training room. Rion gave a formal bow as Lis curtseyed to him. Moments later the gathered people moved to the tables.  
  
Rion caught a glimpse of Mir, as Ari placed a hand on his arm and led him to the high table. Ari and Lis sat on either side of the king, and Rion was guided to a place beside Ari.  
  
"Your highness," the king greeted him, "I trust your fears about our hospitality have been abated."  
  
"Yes, your majesty," Rion replied. Throughout the feast, Rion sat beside Ari, making polite conversation with her and the noble who sat beside him on the other side. He was rather nervous in case he said something that might be construed as offensive. He didn't trust the king not to throw him in a cell to rot.  
  
The food was good, mostly recognisable but a few dishes that he'd never seen before. Rion ate hungrily, and gentle music played in the background. At last everyone was finished. The king stood, and the rest of the hall followed suit. Servants, skilled at going unnoticed, appeared and moved the tables to the sides of the room.  
  
The minstrels changed their music to a lively dance tune and soon couples began to move into the centre of the hall. Rion glanced at Ari, unsure if he should ask her to dance. She looked as though she was expecting him to, but he was suddenly nervous. Finally Lis solved the problem for him. She placed one hand into the centre of Rion's back, the other on Ari's and shoved them both onto the dance floor. Rion and Ari grinned at each other.  
  
The talked softly to each other during the dance, barely aware of the other dancers around them. Unfortunately, the dance ended all too soon, and a rather ugly old man stepped up to them.  
  
"May I have the next dance, your highness," he addressed Ari.  
  
"Certainly, my lord," she said cheerfully, but she shot Rion a comical grimace as she moved to dance with him. Rion went to where Mir was standing at the edge of the room.  
  
"Well, you seem to be having fun," Mir said scathingly, glaring at Ari.  
  
"You could too," Rion said, and nodded to a group of girls hovering nearby, clearly hoping to get noticed. "The blond one's quite pretty."  
  
"So you dance with her. Or would your precious Ari get upset?"  
  
"Ari's just a friend."  
  
"She didn't look like just a friend when you were dancing with her."  
  
"Look, Mir, I know we're prisoners here, but moping around won't change that. I'm going to try and have a good time tonight. You can stand here feeling sorry for yourself if you like, just don't expect me to do the same."  
  
Just then, the blond girl Rion had commented on came up to them. "May I have the next dance, my lord?" she asked Mir. Mir didn't say anything, just turned away and left.  
  
"I'm sorry," Rion told her, "Mir's, dealing with some personal problems at the moment." The girl nodded, but still looked hurt. "If you still want a dance, I've not got a prior engagement."  
  
When the music for the next dance started, Rion walked out with this other girl, shooting Ari an apologetic glance as she looked disappointed. Ari shrugged as another elderly noble approached her.  
  
"That's the problem with being royalty," she said later as they sat at the side of the room having a brief rest, "you have to be polite and say 'yes' when someone asks you to dance, when you'd really like to say 'no, you're a repulsive toad'."  
  
"So that's the only reason you said 'yes' to me?"  
  
"As I recall," Ari smiled, "you didn't actually ask."  
  
"Oh." There was a companionable silence as they watched the twirling dancers. When the music ended, Ari looked across at Rion.  
  
"Prince Eldarion, may I have the honour of the next dance?"  
  
"Well, since I obviously can't be rude. . ." He trailed off, then they both laughed, making their way to the centre of the dance hall.  
  
Across the room, King Ramel watched, his eldest daughter at his side.  
  
"Should I stop them?" he asked.  
  
"What good will that do?" Lis countered.  
  
"I don't want to see her get hurt."  
  
"She's old enough to make her own choices now," Lis said, "Besides, I think she's more likely to be hurt if she thinks her father doesn't trust her to be sensible."  
  
"I know what it's like to lose someone you love. I don't want her to go through this."  
  
"She'll lose him whether you interfere now or not. And I think it's too late to stop her falling in love with him." 


	17. Flight of the Dragon

Author's note: I'd like to say that contrary to popular belief, Sauron is really nice, as is Gamling. I met them yesterday. I also met Andy Serkis, who kept trying to steal my friend's One Ring, and Billy Boyd. The same friend almost fainted from excitement when we met him.  
  
***  
  
Rion had slept late, tired from the night's ball. When he did wake, he didn't feel like getting up. He was still lying there when Ari burst cheerfully into the room.  
  
"Rion, I've just had an amaz. . ." She broke off, and, blushing furiously, darted outside. Rion, blushing himself, hurriedly dressed. When he emerged from his room, Ari was standing in the corridor, looking more composed, but still embarrassed.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rion," she said, "I didn't realise you were. . ."  
  
"It's alright," he cut her off, "Accidents happen." They went back inside the room. "Now, you were going to tell me something amazing?"  
  
"Actually, I was going to show you something amazing," she said, grinning, "You'd better bring your cloak, it'll be cold."  
  
Rion did what he told, filled with curiosity. They had to be going outside, but the thick snow meant travelling far would be difficult. They went down a little, then along some corridors Rion hadn't been down before. He carefully memorised everything so that Mir wouldn't be able to complain too much when he drew this onto their map. Ari led him up a narrow staircase, and Rion wondered if he'd been right in his assumption that they were going outside.  
  
They emerged through a low doorway and the top of the stairs, and stood on the battlements of the castle. The sun was only weakly filtering through the clouds, but everything was still ablaze with silver brightness as the light reflected off snow everywhere. Behind them were the roofs and turrets of the castle, and in front of them a frozen landscape led down to the sea. Rion could see a few small fishing boats, almost hugging the coastline as they sailed.  
  
"It's beautiful," Rion commented.  
  
"And you've not even seen the best part," Ari said, grinning. As they stood there, hugging their cloaks around them to protect themselves against the bitter cold, Rion heard the steady beating of giant wings. A great shadow past over head, and Rion ducked instinctively as Traag past them. He stopped, dropping gracefully despite his size, to just beside the battlement where they stood.  
  
The paralysing fear filled Rion again, and he stood as frozen as the world around him, as the dragon waited in front of them. His great wings worked to keep his body steady.  
  
"Don't be afraid," Ari said, gently squeezing Rion's hand. She climbed onto the stone wall that marked the edge of the battlement, and jumped the small gap to land safely on the dragon's back, if such a position could be called safe. She slid further up, her hands gripping the mighty scales, to make room for Rion.  
  
"Don't worry," Ari said, "Trust me." Rion did trust Ari, he just didn't trust the creature she was sitting on. Still, he climbed onto the wall, conscious of the long drop below. He didn't dare look to see how far down it was, but knew he wouldn't be able to survive it.  
  
He jumped, and felt the firm bulk of the dragon as he landed. Ari grinned at him, and shifted further up the dragon's back. Soon they both sat just behind the great head. Rion found he was trembling, but hoped Ari would think it was the cold. And it was cold, despite the heat from the creature below him, the air ripped through his cloak with icy hands.  
  
Traag beat his wings and the dragon rose from the castle. Rion found himself gripping Ari's waist tightly out of fear. Below them a world was spread out, and Rion soon forgot the danger of his position.  
  
The world beneath them was gleaming silver snow, with the odd beams of golden sunlight creating a treasure any jeweller would be proud of. A frozen river flowed into a wide estuary, and settlements of houses looked like a child's toy there were so small. It didn't seem that this could possibly be the same world he lived in. He saw such beauty from this new perspective that he had never imagined.  
  
He forget to be afraid as they approached the mountain at the centre of the island, and then past it to circle the other two islands, amazed by the speed of the great dragon. He didn't seem connected to the world below him, so he was able to lose his fear of the great distance he was from the ground.  
  
He also forgot to be afraid of the dragon. He knew that if Traag wanted he could throw them both up in the air and eat them before they had even begun to fall. But as the time passed that possibility seemed to dim and fade to the back of his mind. He forgot it almost entirely in the wonder of what he was seeing.  
  
Some time later, Traag landed behind the palace, and the two children dismounted. Then the dragon rose into the sky again and disappeared. Rion looked at Ari, both faces flushed in excitement and cold.  
  
"I never imagined anything like that," he admitted.  
  
"It's brilliant, isn't it?"  
  
"You've done it before?"  
  
"Several times," Ari said, as they turned inside. "I'm not sure whether Traag likes giving rides, he doesn't often show his feelings, so I don't ask too often."  
  
"Does your father know you do this?" Rion asked.  
  
"Of course."  
  
They went inside, and soon were warming themselves by the fire in Rion's room. Rion stared into the fire, thinking.  
  
"Why does Traag life here?" he asked, "And why does no one mind?"  
  
"There was an agreement made long ago between Traag and Queen Ramirin, who ruled at the time," Ari explained, "The Queen agreed to let Traag stay here on several conditions, the first being that he didn't harm any person on the islands. Another being that he only ate what animals were allotted to him. The third, he could guard the royal treasury, allowing the royal family access to the treasures within when they requested it. And finally, he must defend the people of Tharden in times of war."  
  
"And he's stuck to this agreement? Why?"  
  
"Because elsewhere in Middle Earth dragons were being hunted to extinction. This arrangement allows him to live in safety, and provides our people with security."  
  
"Unless of course Traag turns against you."  
  
"He won't," Ari said, "He's got too much to lose. If he breaks the agreement in any way our people will kill him. Besides, he's not the monster you think he is. I've known him all my life."  
  
"A snake can shed its skin, but not its heart."  
  
"If a criminal can change his ways and become a good man, why not a dragon?"  
  
"Because dragons aren't like people."  
  
"How so?" Ari asked.  
  
"Dragons were created by evil, for evil. They can't know anything else."  
  
"Elves and men were created by good, yet some of our kind can still do evil deeds."  
  
Rion opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again. He really had no idea what to say. He knew that Traag was evil and not to be trusted, but somehow couldn't think of a good counter for Ari's arguments.  
  
Much later, he sat by the fire thinking still. Was it possible that Ari was right and Traag really had become good? He didn't think so, but while he was considering the possibility, another thought occurred to him. He remembered the way Traag had covered distances so greatly on his mighty wings. How long would it take for the dragon to travel between Tharden and Gondor? 


	18. Discussions with Dragons

It took all Rion's courage to convince himself that he needed to speak to Traag. Then he had to ask the guards to take him. Some of his confidence came from the fact he didn't expect the guards to agree to take him.  
  
He knew Ari wouldn't ask where he was because she told him Lis was leaving today and she wanted to spend the rest of her time here with her sister. So Rion opened his door and spoke to the soldiers posted outside as always.  
  
"I'd like to visit Traag," he said, somehow managing to keep his voice from betraying his nervousness.  
  
"Of course, your highness," one of the soldiers replied. The shock of having his request accepted was enough to make his heart skip a beat. Rion seriously considered saying that he'd changed his mind and darting back inside his room.  
  
He took a deep breath and then walked between the guards. It was probably his imagination, but this journey seemed a lot longer than the one he'd taken with Ari. Perhaps because he felt as though these might be his last moments alive.  
  
At last they reached the entrance chamber and the two soldiers waited in the doorway. Rion looked at them for a moment, wondering if they were scared. They didn't look it, but his father often said that soldiers didn't show fear, even when they were terrified.  
  
Even if they weren't, Rion was terrified enough for the three of them. He walked slowly down the corridor, each step increasing the shaking of his limbs. Just when he thought his legs wouldn't carry him any further, he entered the red glow of the main chamber.  
  
"Welcome, your highness," Traag said without even lifting his head from where he lay.  
  
"You knew it was me?" Rion asked.  
  
"Of course," the dragon replied, "we dragons have an excellent sense of smell." He lifted his head and stared at Rion.  
  
"Why are you visiting me?" Traag asked, "You didn't seem very interested in my company last time you were here."  
  
"I was wondering," Rion said, trying to keep the tremble from his voice, "about the speed you can fly. How long would it take you to fly from Tharden to Gondor?"  
  
"It depends on the weather. On a fair day with a low wind, perhaps half a day. However in storms it would be much longer." Rion's eyes went wide at that reply, remembering the hellish journey on the boat, days shut away.  
  
"You needn't bother with your next question, Prince Eldarion," Traag went on, "I will not take you home."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I have sworn to serve the king of Tharden, and he wishes you to remain here. Unless he orders me to take you, I will not."  
  
"Why does King Ramal have your loyalty? I never heard that dragons were known for keeping their word."  
  
The jet of flame that burst from Traag mouth wasn't long enough to cover even half the distance between Rion and the dragon, but it was still enough to make Rion jump backwards and need to cling to the wall for support.  
  
"Do not insult my honour again, Prince Eldarion," Traag said menacingly, "I will not break my oath to the king and nothing you may say will change my mind. Now go!" Rion turned and ran up the corridor. Once he could see the light from the entrance chamber he slowed, controlling his panicked breathing. Traag wasn't going to hurt him, if he'd meant to Rion would be little more than a cinder now. His rational mind tried to convince the rest of him of this, and he walked into the entrance chamber and the view of the soldiers as calm as he could possibly be given what had happened.  
  
He went to his room, to find Mir sitting by the fire waiting. Rion wondered what he'd done to earn the look of anger on his friend's face.  
  
"Been spending time with your Ari?" he asked with a sneer.  
  
"She's not my Ari," Rion replied, taking off his cloak, "and as a matter of fact, I haven't."  
  
"So where have you been?"  
  
"Trying to find a way to get us home."  
  
Some of Mir's anger disappeared at that statement. "What have you found?" he asked anxiously.  
  
"I went to talk to Traag."  
  
"What!" The anger was replaced by an expression showing that Mir thought Rion was mad.  
  
"I asked him if he'd take us back to Gondor."  
  
"You did WHAT!" Mir's expression now showed that he knew Rion was mad.  
  
"Don't worry," Rion said, "he said no."  
  
"But, you asked a dragon?"  
  
"I don't think he would hurt me, his safety here depends on not killing anyone."  
  
"Still, you shouldn't take such a risk!" Behind Mir's shock and anger was genuine concern, making Rion feel a little touched.  
  
"You were the one saying we needed to get home," Rion said, "and I don't think there's any possibility of escape that doesn't involve some risk."  
  
"But a dragon?"  
  
"I know, I didn't want it either, I was just trying to see if it would be a possibility."  
  
"How about from now on you only look into sane possibilities?" Mir suggested.  
  
"Alright," said Rion with a smile, sitting down by the fire with him. "So, have you done anything interesting?"  
  
"Like what? We're prisoners."  
  
"Just tell the soldiers guarding you that you want to go to the library or somewhere," Rion suggested, "As long as you look like you've got the right to do so they'll probably take you."  
  
"That's good idea, actually."  
  
"Don't sound so surprised," said Rion, pretending to be hurt.  
  
"How am I supposed to sound when a miracle occurs?" Mir teased.  
  
"That's rather unfair, especially coming from you." The teasing continued, and Rion was able to laugh, secure in the knowledge that Mir was still the good friend he had been. He had begun to doubt that other the past few weeks.  
  
There came a soft knock on the door, and Rion called, "Enter." Ari stepped in, and glanced over at Mir, who was looking at her with cold dislike.  
  
"Oh, I'll come back later," she said.  
  
"No, it's alright," Rion said.  
  
"Yeah, I was just leaving," Mir said. He stood up, but Rion caught his arm.  
  
"Why must you be so rude?" Rion asked quietly.  
  
"Why must you be so stupid?" Mir responded. He pulled his arm from Rion's grasp and walked out, giving Ari an angry look as he left.  
  
"I'm sorry about him," Rion said.  
  
"Why are you sorry?" she asked, "You can't help how he behaves."  
  
"I know, I just don't see why he's like this."  
  
"He doesn't trust me. It's rather like you and Traag."  
  
"This is completely different from the way I feel about Traag."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Because. . . It just is."  
  
Ari laughed, her soft, sweet laughter filling Rion's world. "You really need to come up with a better argument than that," she said.  
  
"Traag is a creature whose race is known for cruelty and evil. You're a human being. That's quite a large difference."  
  
"That argument's a bit better," Ari commented.  
  
"We're supposed to be having an argument, not discussing my skills at them."  
  
"Lack of skills, I would say."  
  
"For someone who's supposed to be my friend," Rion said, "you're not very nice to me." Ari laughed again.  
  
"Life would be so boring if I had to be nice to people," Ari said. She grinned at him and sat down in the chair Mir had been occupying.  
  
"Don't you have anything better to do than annoy me?" Rion asked.  
  
"No, Lis has gone back to the training grounds so I can't annoy her." Ari's tone was light, but Rion saw the grief behind her eyes.  
  
"Do you miss her?"  
  
Ari nodded, "She was always there for me when I was little. We fought like all siblings do, but since Father sent her away I kept thinking of things I wanted to tell her, but not been able to."  
  
"Why did your father send her away?" Ari was silent for a while, reluctant to answer. "I'm sorry," Rion went on, "I shouldn't be prying."  
  
"It's alright," Ari replied, "I don't mind. There were two reasons for it, one was personal and I won't go into that. The other reason was that Father thought she should learn to take orders before she becomes Queen, so she knows the sort of orders that she has a right to give."  
  
"I don't need to be sent away from home to be ordered around. 'Eldarion, go and change into something more suitable for a prince,' 'Eldarion, stop fooling around and behave in a dignified manner.'" Ari laughed at that.  
  
"It's the same here, I don't know why Father needed to send her away." Only a short while ago Rion would have protested about the difference between this place and his home, but not now. Now he just laughed along with her.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: I hope all those who thought Traag would take them home aren't too disappointed. Of course, you were assuming I'd give it a happy ending and let them go home, and I'm not promising anything. 


	19. Eavesdropping

Days passed slowly for Rion. Most of the time was spent inside, either with Mir or Ari, since the two of them would refuse to spend time with each other. Occasionally the sun would break through the clouds and he would go outside under the bare trees, delighting in the feel of fresh air.  
  
Gradually the snowstorms became fewer, and the air grew warmer. He sat outside with Mir, noting the receding snow. The ground had been white for so long, but now patches of brown earth were showing through.  
  
"How soon, do you think?" Mir asked.  
  
"I don't think it would be safe yet," Rion said, "we don't want to risk a storm. We should wait until the snow's completely gone and the flowers are beginning to appear."  
  
"You just don't want to leave your precious Ari." Rion bit down an angry retort, close to losing his temper that Mir still chose to be so idiotic.  
  
"The longer we wait the more likely we are to reach home safely. I don't want to escape this place only to drown halfway back." He stopped when he heard footsteps behind him, and turned. His worry at being discovered faded when he saw it was only Ari, but the hurt expression on her face worried him more.  
  
"Ari," he said, getting to his feet and starting towards her, only to have her step back.  
  
"When were you going to tell me?" she asked, "When were you going to tell me you were leaving?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Ari," Rion said.  
  
"Were you just going to go? Were you even going to say goodbye?"  
  
"And have you tell your father everything we've planned," Mir said angrily, "We don't want to tell our plans to spies."  
  
"Spies?" she said, "Is that all you think of me?"  
  
"No, Ari, of course not," Rion said, placing a hand on her arm. She shoved him away.  
  
"If you don't want to talk to me, then I certainly don't want to talk to you," she snapped, then turned. Rion almost started after her, but Mir grabbed his arm.  
  
"You're better off without her," he said.  
  
***  
  
Ari stormed down the corridors, heedless of where she was going. So Rion thought she was a spy, did he? Well, she'd prove otherwise. She wouldn't say a word about this to anyone. She was no spy. Besides, she didn't want him here. It was better that she just let him go so she would never have to look at him again.  
  
She stopped, hearing the name Gondor spoken. She was standing outside her father's study. Curiosity raised, she moved closer to the door to listen. Her heart almost missed a beat as she heard what was being said. She had to go find Rion!  
  
No. Why should she care? He'd find out soon enough.  
  
Calmly, slowly, she moved towards her room. She didn't care what happened to Rion. He'd find out what her father was planning and then she wouldn't have to worry any more.  
  
But even as she thought it, tears flowed down her cheeks.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: Sorry it's such a short chapter, but we're nearing the climax now and I wanted to speed things up a bit. As always, please review. 


	20. Surprises

Rion spent three days trying to speak to Ari. When she didn't come to visit him, he decided to take matters into his own hands and go and visit her. His attempts only gained one answer: "Princess Ariessa does not wish to speak with you." Rion wondered how he could possibly make things right if she wouldn't let him apologise. He didn't think he ought to apologise, since it was Mir who was in the wrong, but he didn't want to ruin their friendship over it.  
  
A part of him, aided by Mir, tried to convince the rest of him that it was probably better if things stayed the way they were. If he didn't mend his relationship with Ari then it wouldn't hurt so much to leave her.  
  
He gained some satisfaction from the fact that they hadn't been locked in the cells. As he sat with Mir in the library on the forth day since the incident in the garden, he mentioned this.  
  
"So?" was Mir's response.  
  
"So Ari hasn't told anyone what we're planning," Rion said, "meaning you were wrong."  
  
"Maybe what I said shamed her."  
  
"Or maybe she never meant to spy on us and you ought to apologise."  
  
"What does it matter?" Mir asked, "We'll be gone soon, leaving her and everything else behind." Rion nodded, but said nothing. "That's assuming that you still mean to go home?"  
  
"Of course I do!" Rion's angry response was almost a shout. He glanced across to the soldiers standing guard at the library doors, but they didn't appear to be paying any attention. "Gondor is my home," he said more quietly, "that's where my family is. I wouldn't stay here for anything."  
  
"It didn't look that way."  
  
"Ari and I are friends," Rion said, "I care about her, but not enough to abandon my family, my duty to my people, or you."  
  
"You'd better not," Mir said, grinning slightly, "or you might find a bucket of cold water above your door again." Rion began to chuckle, not at that, but at the memory of what he'd done to get revenge.  
  
"I think that would be inadvisable, or you won't know what you may find in your boots."  
  
"Well, at least I won't find out how I look in pink." Rion raised his eyebrows. "You wouldn't?" Rion said nothing, and Mir's expression began to look slightly more desperate. "Please say you wouldn't."  
  
"I could," Rion replied, "but Father doesn't like it if I lie." He only managed to keep his face serious for a few moments, before the expression of worry on Mir's face sent him into hysterics. Soon Mir was laughing along with him.  
  
Deciding to stretch his legs, Rion wandered over to the window. Rain was falling outside in a thin sleeting drizzle that penetrated any fabric and soaked anyone outside in an instant. The snow had completely gone now, disappearing into hundreds of streams and rivulets.  
  
Staring through the rain, Rion look down to the harbour. From this room, he could see about half of it, the other half hidden by the rocks that sheltered it from the sea. A ship was pulling into the harbour. Not one of the little, fishing boats that never strayed far from the shore, but a great warship. It must have to travel quite far out to avoid rocks. He wondered where it had come from, since he didn't recall seeing any harbours nearby when on Traag that would be large enough to hold this ship.  
  
"What are you looking at?" Mir asked, moving to his side. Rion pointed, then went to look at one of the maps they had spread out. He was right, there was nowhere near here. That meant that ships were risking travelling further away from the shore. Maybe the threat of violent storms was over.  
  
He didn't have time to speak his thoughts to Mir, because the door opened and Graynal entered. He said something quietly to the soldiers, then walked over to Rion.  
  
"Come with me now," he said firmly. Rion wondered if Ari had said something about their plans, and judging from Mir's expression he was thinking the same thing.  
  
Rion followed Graynal from the room, two soldiers falling into position behind him. He wondered what was going on. They were heading to his room, probably to lock him in there until they did whatever they were planning on doing with him.  
  
Once they reached his room, Graynal nodded to a set of clothes laid out. "Change quickly," he said, then disappeared out the door. The clothes were as formal as the ones he had worn for the feast, but he wondered what was so urgent about this occasion. He changed anyway, not wanting to risk anything when they were this close to escape.  
  
Dressed in a green tunic, embroidered in gold with beech leaves, he set the circlet on his head. There was a knock on the door, then Ari entered without even waiting for a reply. She was dressed just as formally, but looked very unhappy.  
  
"Ari," Rion began, "I'm sorry about what. . ."  
  
"Father asked me to escort you down," Ari interrupted, and turned to leave the room again.  
  
"Ari, please don't hold a grudge. You don't want to know what happened to Mir the last time he held a grudge."  
  
Rion knew that Ari's curiosity wouldn't let that one go. "What did you do?" she asked. She walked from the room, meaning that Rion had to walk with her in order to tell her, his guards following behind as always.  
  
"I managed to get him up on the roof then took the ladder away, meaning he couldn't climb down. He was stuck up there all night, and it was raining."  
  
"No, I meant what did you do to make friends again?"  
  
"I just told you."  
  
"I dread to think what you did to make him angry."  
  
"Nothing worse than some of the things he's done to me. One time he convinced one of the maids to dye all my white shirts pink, and then made sure that they were all I could find when I was in a hurry." Ari laughed, and Rion laughed with her. He kept on with his stories, delighting to have made her smile, even if it was at his own expense.  
  
So it happened that when they reached the great hall they were both laughing. The king standing near the door, speaking to another man. The man had his back to the door when the laughing couple entered, though he turned at a nod from the king.  
  
The laughter died on Rion's lips.  
  
He stared at the man in front of him, filled with shock.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: Review, or I'll leave you with that cliffhanger. Don't think that I wouldn't. 


	21. I Never Asked to Fall in Love with You

Author's note: Since I've had some desperate people demanding me to update, I thought I'd be nice and do just that.  
  
***  
  
Rion stood staring for a few moments, unable to decide whether he was dreaming or not. In those moments of hesitation, the man had closed the distance between them and flung his arms round Rion. Convinced now that he was awake, Rion hugged his father back. Tears of joy flowed freely down his cheeks as he just held on, afraid that his father would disappear if he let go.  
  
"I've missed you so much," King Elessar murmured in his son's ear.  
  
"I've missed you too," Rion replied.  
  
Elessar released his from the embrace, but kept his hands on Rion's shoulders as he looked his son in the eye. "Have they hurt you, Rion?" he asked, "Have they hurt you in any way?" Rion's thoughts went to the man who had tried to kill him, but he knew that hadn't been the king's intention, and it would take too long to explain.  
  
"No," he said, "they haven't."  
  
"I told you he wouldn't be harmed," King Ramel said. Rion looked at him in surprise, then back at his father.  
  
"He told you? What's going on?"  
  
"The day you went out hunting with Danomir, a messenger arrived. He told me that you would not return from your hunting trip. He said that you had been taken by King Ramel of Tharden, but that you would not be harmed. Naturally, I sent out search parties, but they found only the guards I sent to protect you."  
  
"But why? Why was I brought here?"  
  
"Perhaps we should discuss this over dinner," King Ramel suggested. For the first time, Rion noticed that a table had been spread for them. He allowed himself to be guided to a place beside his father, his head still swimming from this sudden revelation. He half expected to wake up at any moment.  
  
Rion ate little, waiting for King Ramel to explain himself. Across the table from him, Ari looked as confused as he did. Rion saw the sadness in her eyes, and remembered the way she had looked coming to his room. She had known he would be leaving.  
  
"I decided recently," Ramel began at last, "to begin to have more contact with other countries. I hoped to form a trade contract with Gondor, but couldn't be sure if you or your people could be trusted." Elessar's face was calm, and only the slight tightening on the grip he held on Rion's hand betrayed his anger.  
  
"My spies could only tell me so much," Ramel went on, "and I needed more information. I decided that the one who could best teach me what I wanted to know was one who was close to the king." Ramel looked directly at Elessar now, whereas before he had been addressing both of them.  
  
"Your son conducted himself with dignity. He has noble ideals, and his refusal to answer any of my questions about Gondor told me all I need to know about his honour and loyalty." Rion hoped he wasn't flushing at this appraisal of himself before his father.  
  
"You do not need to tell me what I already know," Elessar replied, and Rion was sure he was flushing now.  
  
"I would be interested in opening trade negotiations with your people," Ramel said.  
  
"Why should I be interested in trading with a country that endorsing kidnapping?" Elessar responded.  
  
Before Ramel would said anything to that, Ari stood. "I realise that you have a lot to discuss, and I'm certain you will not want me to interfere," she said with utmost dignity, "therefore I shall leave you now." She turned and walked out. Rion sat stunned for a moment, then stood as well. He couldn't muster Ari's level of dignity, so all he could say was, "Excuse me," before hurrying out after her.  
  
"Ari," he called, "Ari can we talk?"  
  
"I'm sure you're capable of talking," she replied, slowing but not completely stopping. Rion walked beside her, unsure now of what he should say.  
  
"I'm sorry about what Mir said," he said at last, "I never thought of you as a spy."  
  
"I know," Ari said after a slight hesitation. She opened a door and stepped outside. Rain was still falling, and neither had cloaks with the, but she walked out into the garden anyway, stopping by the tree Rion had convinced her to climb.  
  
Rion was wondering what to say, when Ari suddenly began crying. She leaned back against the tree, tears mingling with the rain as the flowed from her closed eyes. "I never asked for this," she said.  
  
"Asked for what?"  
  
"I never asked to fall in love with you." Somehow Ari's comment was more shocking than anything else that had happened today.  
  
"You. . . love me?" he asked, stepping towards her. She nodded. Rion remembered the way she had looked when they almost kissed, the way he felt when she laughed, the despair in his heart when she refused to speak with him. It was clear now, so clear he couldn't understand how he hadn't realised it before. He loved Ari.  
  
Slowly, nervously, he placed a hand on Ari's chin, and kissed her gently. For a moment Ari kissed back, then she pulled away.  
  
"Don't you understand?" she demanded.  
  
"I thought I did."  
  
"Your father's here. That means you'll be leaving and I'll never see you again."  
  
Rion thought about it. He didn't want to leave Ari. He didn't want to leave her when he'd only just realised he loved her. "You. . . you could come to Gondor with me."  
  
"So it's alright for me to be taken from my home to live among strangers but not you?" she asked. Rion knew what she said was true. He couldn't ask her to leave her home any more than he could leave his. The cold rain fell about them, crying with them.  
  
***  
  
Rion had returned to the room that wouldn't be his much longer. His intentions had been to prepare for the journey, but looking round he realised that nothing here belonged to him. The clothes he had worn during the winter were just borrowed, as was everything else.  
  
He went and stared out of one of the windows. He was going home. Excitement rose inside him, but there was still the sadness of leaving Ari. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the knock on the door, nor did he notice when it opened.  
  
"Eldarion?" He turned, and smiled at his father who stood there.  
  
"Sorry, I was thinking."  
  
"No need to apologise for thinking, it's when you don't think I want you to apologise." Rion smiled, almost genuinely.  
  
"What's wrong?" Elessar asked. Rion sat down on the bed, his father sitting beside him.  
  
"Ari."  
  
"That girl?" Rion nodded. "You care for her?"  
  
"I love her. I want to go home, but I don't want to leave her."  
  
"All too often is love mingled with pain," Elessar said, and Rion knew he was referring to his mother. Rion leaned sideways, resting his head against his father and cried, knowing that someone understood the conflict in his heart.  
  
***  
  
Author's note: Sorry it wasn't longer, but it seemed a good place to stop. There'll probably only be one more chapter to go now, maybe an epilogue. 


	22. Homeward Bound

Author's note: In true hobbit style, I'm giving you all a present for my birthday, the last chapter of Flight of the Dragon. There's also virtual cookie cake. I would have saved some of the real cake, but my maths group decided we needed the brain food since some evil person gave us an exam on my birthday.  
  
Anyway, enjoy the story and virtual cake.  
  
***  
  
Rion sat at the bow of the ship, keeping out of the way of the sailors, since they knew their job better than he did. He could see nothing ahead of them but sea, but he knew that somewhere was his home. Gondor.  
  
After a while someone came to stand beside him. Even without looking he knew it was his father.  
  
"I would imagine you have a lot to tell me," Elessar said. Rion nodded, and began. He described his capture and the nightmare journey, he described his meeting with the king and his attempted escape, he described Ari and the man who had tried to kill him. At that, Elessar got almost furious.  
  
"He wasn't under orders from King Ramel," Rion said, "I think he liked Ari, and got annoyed that a prisoner was spending so much time with her. I can understand why he might," he added with a sad smile.  
  
Rion continued his story, talking about Traag. That clearly surprised his father. They discussed the possibility that Ari might be right, and Traag was a decent person. Finally they agreed that although the possibility existed, it was very unlikely.  
  
They finished talking, and sat down against the wooden rail at the edge of the ship, watching the sailors work. It felt right that they could do this, not needing words, just needing to reassure themselves that the other was there. After some time Mir came up to them. He bowed his head slightly to the king, who stood up.  
  
"I think you two need to talk," he said, leaving.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rion," Mir said, "I should have trusted you about Ari."  
  
"She wasn't a spy," Rion snapped, more angrily than Mir deserved. He was angry that Ari had been snatched away from him just when he realised his feelings for her, and Mir was the only target for his rage. "All she wanted was to be friendly and you just had to make things hard for her."  
  
"You can't blame me for not trusting her after everything we were put through. How was I to know she wasn't just. . ." His words were cut off when Rion struck him across the face, the blow almost sending him sprawling on the deck. For a few shocked moments he just blinked at Rion, then turned to go. Rion saw the hurt on his face, and the anger faded.  
  
"I'm sorry," he called after Mir's retreating form. Mir didn't answer. Rion sat for a moment, wondering what he should do, though he already knew. He needed Mir now, and couldn't push him away. Besides, they were sharing a cabin so they should be on decent terms for the journey home. The longer he waited, the more Mir would resent his actions. He stood and walked to the cabin, the only place Mir could have gone on this ship.  
  
He knocked gently before pushing the door open. "I'm sorry, Mir, I. . ." he began, before realising he was talking to an empty room. Where could Mir have got to?  
  
He finally found him below decks in the long room at the base of the ship. It was awkward to walk here, because of the way the walls sloped into the floor, and it was filled with crates and barrels, since there was no other use for this space than storage. Mir was sitting in a dark corner between two crates. Rion wondered why he was hiding down here, then the dim light let him see the glistening tears on his friend's cheeks.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mir," Rion said, and Mir jumped slightly. Apparently he had been too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice that he wasn't alone any more. "I shouldn't have hit you."  
  
"Why did you?" Mir asked quietly.  
  
"Because I was angry. Not at you, you just happened to get in the way. I'm sorry."  
  
"You're not angry at me?"  
  
"No. Well. . . a little. But anger doesn't excuse what I did. Forgive me?"  
  
"If you'll forgive me for not trusting you."  
  
"It's a deal."  
  
***  
  
The journey home was much more pleasant than the journey out, though the two boys quickly became bored. They caused chaos in the ship's galley on several occasions, but Elessar put a stop to that by threatening to lock them in their cabin.  
  
To everyone's relief, they passed through no storms. A fair wind drove them quickly towards Gondor. At last the ship sighted land, and entered the wide estuary of the Anduin. A part of Rion couldn't quite believe it. He expected to wake up at any moment, discover that this was just a dream and he was still a prisoner in Tharden.  
  
The rest of that day was frantic. When they reached Minas Tirith, Arwen had insisted on hearing all that had happened to her son. He had thought it a long tale to tell his father, but his mother kept interrupting and asking questions rather than waiting for him to finish.  
  
They had eaten dinner, and then talked some more. It seemed to take forever before Rion was able to slip away, overwhelmed by all that had happened. His room was just as it always was, allowing him to imagine briefly that he had never been away. He collapsed onto his bed fully clothed, exhausted from all the excitement. He'd find the strength to change into his nightclothes soon.  
  
He'd just dosed off when he was awoken by a soft tapping. He thought at first that someone was at the door, then realised the sound came from the window. He opened it, to reveal a face he hadn't expected to see again.  
  
"Ari?" It took his astonished and tired mind a few seconds to realise that Ari was seated on the back of Traag. Ari moved slightly, and Rion climbed gracefully through the window to sit behind her on the dragon's back. His arms wrapped round her waist as Traag's great wings lifted them into the air.  
  
He looked down at the moonlit kingdom below him. Never had his kingdom seemed so beautiful. They soared above it, part of the world and yet not. Neither Rion nor Ari spoke for a while.  
  
"Will this work?" Rion asked at last, "Meeting like this?"  
  
"Maybe," Ari said, "we won't know until we've tried it. But I think we can make it work." She turned towards him.  
  
They kissed, on the back of a dragon above the kingdom of Gondor.  
  
THE END  
  
Yay! Happy ending. There may be a sequel, but probably not. It depends whether the muse attacks me with one or not. Hammy, you said you liked Eldarion fics, well he has a part in Fortune Prevails, another one of my fics, and appears in Fortune's Loss. So you could go read those if you haven't already.  
  
Ebonyeyes, you said you wanted Mir to get slapped. Was this close enough?  
  
Thank you to everyone who's reviewed. Everyone else, this isn't good enough. 


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